The affective sphere

What more we are going to bear in mind in this aspect is the depression that affects the great majority of our elders (30 %), this implies that there are lengthened more the hospitable stays, which there are more treatments and therefore more number of consultations.

The diagnosis of the depression we it can beech from the interview, insisting on events producers and the observation of the details, as the bathroom or his tone of voice. It is more frequent than produce his appearance in elders who already have previous problems; as the loss of weight or irritability, anxiety or deterioration of the functional capacity, etc..

The anxiety together with the depression also concerns to a great extent the third age and provokes a disproportionate discomfort and apprehension the stimulus producers. In the elder it is more normal than present the anxiety as symptom that how disease; though the above mentioned anxiety is very difficult to detect since it can take multiple diagnoses as a hyperthyroidism, a ischemic heart disease, etc.. 

To explore the above mentioned sphere we must bear in mind: The complaints somatic as, the mental condition, idea of death, the lack of energy or decrease of this one, disorder of the dream, disorder of the appetite, etc …

To value the affective sphere we possess different thinks like  :

- Scale of Yesavage's depression (GDS): No article is of type somatic, the answers are dichotomous, he says to us the level of depression that our patient has.

 - Inventory of Hamilton's depression: Used principally to establish the severity of the depression.

- Zung's Scale: For geriatric investigation.

- Cornell's Scale of depression of the dementia: It values the humor, alterations of conduct, physical signs, clinical functions, etc ..

- Scale of depression and Goldberg's anxiety: He interviews of cribbage of the most frequent psychopathological disorders, the anxiety and the depression.

- Inventory of Beck's depression.

To finish this entry I can assure that old age is often portrayed as a time of rest, reflection and opportunities to do things that were put off while raising families and pursuing careers.

Unfortunately, the aging process is not always so idyllic. Late-life events such as chronic and debilitating medical disorders, loss of friends and loved ones and the inability to take part in once-cherished activities can take a heavy toll on an aging person's emotional well-being.

An older adult may also sense a loss of control over his or her life due to failing eyesight, hearing loss and other physical changes, as well as external pressures such as limited financial resources. These and other issues often give rise to negative emotions such as sadness, anxiety, loneliness and lowered self-esteem, which in turn lead to social withdrawal and apathy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Mediagraphic [quoted in 17/04/2013] and available on:

 http://www.medigraphic.com/pdfs/residente/rr-2010/rr102c.pdf

2. - HOFFMAN, Gloria Basic Geriatric Nursing 5th Edition. Elsevier 2012.