Mental health and the elderly
The Krugersdorp Council for the Care of the Aged and Munsieville Care for the Aged came together at the Robert Palk Centre recently to talk about managing mental-health issues.
October is known as Mental Health Awareness Month throughout South Africa and has become a way for various organisations to take one large collective step toward creating awareness about a sometimes marginalised subject – our emotional and psychological well-being, especially considering our fast-paced lives.
Being conscious of this problem and working with a group who often need and deserve a gentler approach, the Krugersdorp Council for the Care of the Aged and Munsieville Care for the Aged came together at the Robert Palk Centre recently to talk about managing mental-health issues.
The two groups of elderly persons socialised a while in the Robert Palk dining hall, sharing stories of the past before Nomthandazo Mthombeni from the West Rand Health Department’s Health Promotion division stepped up to the podium.
“Mental disorder is not only the absence of mental health, but also means that the person has a disorder that affects their mood, behaviour and thoughts. Mental disorders can be an anxiety disorder, mood, eating, substance abuse and psychotic disorders,” Nomthandazo said.
She explained that mental disorders could be caused by the environment, such as from stress caused by the death of a loved one, divorce or financial problems; or it can be of a psychological and lifestyle nature. “They are part of how we experience life and what happens to us in our lives, like trauma, and emotional, physical or sexual abuse.
“Many people think that mental disorders only affect adults. However, even children and teenagers do experience it.”
In explaining ways to detect mental disorders, Nomthadazo listed dramatic or sudden changes in a person’s behaviour, changes in mood, dramatic changes in thinking and sleeping patterns or hygiene habits, a change in the senses or changes in memory such as poor concentration, general confusion or forgetfulness.
This get-together was an inaugural event for the two centres as they now plan on hosting more such events regularly to bring the two worlds together and teach their members important life lessons.
Afterwards the two groups chatted for a while and enjoyed a freshly prepared meal at the centre.
