Many of today's senior
citizens have lived through four wars -- World War II, the Korean conflict,
Vietnam and the Gulf War.
The present war in Iraq
is number five.
Watching the televised
reports from the Middle East for prolonged periods may be stressful for the
older population, especially if the images of war evokes painful memories of
war-related experiences.
Lisa Persohn, community
representative for Carriage Court Assisted Living, 800 Beck's Knob Road S.W.,
Lancaster, said most residents at the facility do not appear very stressed
with the news coming out of Iraq and the surrounding areas.
"Several of the men
keep the television on the news almost all the time, but no one seems to be
obsessed with it," Persohn said. "The residents also read the
newspaper. One lady will open up to the headlines and shake her head in
sadness. They all are supportive of the troops and of the war, although they
don't want to see war. Many of them have said they just want it to be over
quickly."
Persohn said the staff on
Carriage Court's Alzheimer's unit are trying to keep news of the war away from
patients with the disease.
"A number of the
patients on the Alzheimer's unit had a tendency to dwell on tragic events in
the past, and we don't want to see that happen with this war," Persohn
said. "But for the others, they feel it's important to be aware of what
is going on in Iraq. Many of them have said they are proud to be an American
and want to show their support."
Brad Hedges, executive
director at Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc., 624 E. Main St., Lancaster,
said that people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities are less
prone to stress-related depression than seniors who live at home. He said in
those facilities, they tend to be more involved in other activities, and the
television can be controlled by the staff if need be.
"Older adults who
are living at home tend not to have much of a routine, and tend to live by
the television," Hedges said. "They may watch news about the war
too much, then begin to ruminate, then they tend to worry about their
extended family and other things, and it just crescendos until they
experience anxiety or depression."
Hedges said older adults
who are predisposed to depression are the ones who are the most affected by
overexposure to negative news on television.
"The higher the
frequency of depression, and the more the person ruminates, the more profound
the depression is," Hedges said.
Hedges added that older
adults who live at home can take steps in order to prevent adverse affects
from the televised war in Iraq.
"It's important to
maintain some type of routine so that the television is not the center of
your day," Hedges said. "It's also important to find activities in
the home not related to television, and to engage in social activities
outside the home."
Originally published
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
