The Official Blog of Episcopal Retirement Services

When it comes to senior health care, much of the emphasis on staying healthy focuses on physical issues. Appropriate health screenings, routine medical checkups and management of chronic health conditions like diabetes and heart disease each playing an important role. But in the drive to make sure a person remains physically healthy as they get older, the mental health aspects of aging are often overlooked. As a result, undiagnosed depression is a surprisingly common issue among older adults.

Depression is often misunderstood, whether it occurs in a senior population or in younger people. For those who don't suffer from chronic depression, the deep feelings of sadness and hopelessness that accompany clinical depression can be difficult to fully grasp. As a result, many depressive symptoms are disregarded or written off as “adjustment” issues relating to the process of growing older. And that means many, many seniors suffer in silence, their quality of life severely diminished and their physical health suffering as well.

Those entering their golden years today are enjoying the benefit of living in a digital era: Today, senior health care records can be accessed with the push of a button, spending time with faraway friends and family is as easy as video-chatting on the web, and safety and organization has never been more dependable, thanks to special tech tools. Three devices in particular are revolutionizing the quality of life for seniors, from everyday tasks to internet connections and even life-saving monitoring services.