Sensory circle disorders

Visual impairment may be the gradual and moderate depletion of visual acuity, and the fatigue of accommodation is an age-specific feature. Treatment of symptoms is mostly ophthalmic, but there may be neuropsychiatric aspects that are treated in complex neurological and psychiatric care [3]. Such visual disturbances include progressive visual impairment, sudden deterioration or loss of vision, vision defects, dual vision, and disturbing elemental or complex (optic illusion or hallucinations) visual acuity.

Hearing disorders are some of the most common symptoms of ageing, but hearing loss is not a general symptom, as it shows a great diversity. Most commonly, it is a problem when talking to a speaker in the context of social interaction for better understanding (automatic reading of the mouth). A more unpleasant symptom is tinnitus. The neuropsychiatric aspects of hearing disorders should also be considered. For example, tinnitus leads to behavioural abnormalities, as the constant whistling, rippling sound makes the elderly angry and may cause sleep disturbances. Acoustic hallucinations are uncommon, but if they occur, they may be signs of psychiatric illness. Whichever symptom is the first, it is important to check the connection between the two. Parosmia appears to some extent in any elderly person, but if daily activity is disturbed, the switch disruptions must be ruled out. Hypersensitivity and anosmia should be thought of as cerebral vascular processes and, in the case of anomalous hallucinations, epilepsy or other psychotic disorders may be suspected.

The biological basis of the loss of taste sensation is the diminishing number of taste buds. Instead of 240–250, there may be only 40–50. Flavours and the feelings associated with them may change considerably as age progresses. Not only does taste sensation change, but diet change, as a part of lifestyle change, means leaving the distinctive, strongly spicy flavours that can maintain a nostalgic desire. However, if old flavours are being tasted again, taste does not return, or the feelings of old flavours. In this stimulus mode, a taste sensation that appears as a symptom of psychosis may also arise.

Temperature sensation, skin senses of touch, and deep sensations are not part of the natural ageing process. At the same time, there may also be a reduction in vibration sensation and impairment of depth perception in elderly healthy people. This can affect movement on the stairs.

Numbness, feeling of needle piercing, and general symptoms associated with hypoesthesia, are caused by damage to peripheral nerves and percussion pathways. In the elderly, this is the most common sensory disorder since it is related to alcoholic, toxic, diabetic polyneuropathy. However, here may be iatrogenic harm, as well as the harm caused by medication. It is important to note that the explanation of the perceptions of the sentiment can only be interpreted in a complex biopsychosocial model. Therefore, it is very risky to use alternative or complementary medicine without thorough neuropsychiatric investigation. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize the health psychology approach to emotional disorders and the role of education and prevention.

Disturbances of the driving force are usually described in neuropsychiatric terms [3]. Here are some important points highlighted.

One of the consequences of normal ageing is a decrease in the weight and strength of the muscles by 30%. This is the main reason why muscular anaerobic performance is reduced. The main forms of this are peripheral and central paresis, fatigue, reduced activity, walking disorder, awkwardness, trembling, shaking, involuntary movements, and holding problems.

From the health psychology point of view, we emphasize the role of regular movement and sport. For all disorders of the aged, whether somatic or mental, one of the most important antidotes is regular and enough movement. For the elderly, more and more programs are organized, the core of which is movement. These include lifestyle programs, leisure activities, excursions, sports, and exercise therapy, e.g., Tai chi.

The next topic is mental disorders affecting normal ageing. Like any symptoms associated with ageing, they are normal variants and can only be regarded as mental disorders if they reach the clinical level.

Mental disorder symptoms

Forgiveness: In tasks requiring rapid associativity, there is a decrease in fluid abilities, which is offset by a Christianized, wisdom-based component.

Mental decline: This includes memory decline and difficulty in understanding, or persevering. Attention is tyred and weakened. For this reason, it is suggested in the nurses’ communication protocol to communicate with slow, well-articulated, and easily understandable words.

Narrowing of initiative skill: There is no will to go anywhere, and past activities are narrowed. If movement diminishes along with interest, it will become more and more difficult to move the elderly out of their homes. While ageing does not necessarily coincide with sitting at home, it may increase age-related depression. From a health psychology perspective, prevention is a conscious preparation for ageing; it can help slow down the development of negative symptoms and the appearance of mental illness. The European Union’s Horizon 2020 program focuses on active ageing, not just from the health conservation, but also the economic point of view [4]. To this end, numerous research projects have been launched to promote social activities and programs for active ageing, for example, learning to use a computer and the Internet. The projects bring different ages closer together, for example, through school programs, where young children can meet with older people who are impaired in their movement or speech or have other manifestations of ageing. The goal is that elderly people would not live in “reserves” but remain natural members of the communities.

Declining critical abilities: Older people can be victims of scams, let strangers inside, and buy everything. There may be a slight change in the critical sense as a sign of a more serious illness, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Confusion: Suddenly active employees find themselves in a new role as a passive pensioner. That is why it is important to prepare older people for life-cycle changes in advance – to create a continuity of experience in the field of utility. Sudden change is unfortunate. The rebound effect and changes in social roles in the aftermath of stress can cause diseases. This may be one of the reasons why many doctors get ill or die after retirement within a year.

Agitation and hetero aggression: Older people become grumpy, with a motor-driven urge and psychomotor unrest. The agitation is socially inadequate. It is a kind of repetitive verbal and motor behaviour, often involving aggression. In the background of neurotransmitters, serotonin has a regulatory role. In the regulation of aggressive behaviour, decreased 5-HT (serotonin), low noradrenaline, and high dopamine levels have been detected.

Failing sense of direction: Orientation weakens, mainly related to dementia. The more severe the dementia, the greater the disturbance of orientation in the field. If a client suffers disorientation in the home, it will increase during hospitalization. It is an important health psychology tenet that patients should not be “punished” for this by nurses but viewed as having a symptom of dementia and treated accordingly.

Mood disorders

Depressed, bitter mood: Mood is more susceptible to change in the elderly, and it may often turn negative. At the same time, it is important to note that the moodiness of normal ageing is not the same as clinical depression. Certain events experienced by the elderly in their earlier life may dramatically break into consciousness in the second half of life, due to changing memory functions. This is related to short-term memory degradation, typified by the “where did I put my glasses?” behaviour. This type of forgetting becomes more and more common while long-term memory is getting better. The latter is because 50–60-year-old memories are accompanied by related emotions. Traumatic memories, unfortunately, surface, as well. Losses and sad stories can surface, along with their emotional intensity. One of my clients told me once that at the beginning of her retirement age she faced the negative memories of the past. She was a Holocaust survivor. She asked for help from a psychiatrist colleague, who said at the age of 70 nothing can be done except to cry together with the patient.

From a health psychology point of view, it is important that healthcare professionals reveal the meaningfulness of the lived life to our clients. This is a question of perspective, primarily. For example, the Holocaust-surviving old man, beyond the lamentation of losses, also should see post-traumatic growth [5] and be proud of it. The “What doesn’t kill me, will make me stronger” principle or the “palm growing under the burden” can give a positive direction to these unexpectedly overwhelming memories and will not let the process go in the direction of depression. Unfortunately, psychiatrists are not well informed about the benefits of health psychology and spread their arms in the appearance of an elderly man in a desperate mood and respond with pharmacotherapy, which means the medicalization of the problem rather than an offer of humane help. Health psychology does not regard ageing as a disease, but a normal change. Following the principle of resilience, the second half of life is just coping with a task [6].

Common crying: In men, crying may be striking, as it contradicts the gender role of socialization, where men should be strong and not show emotion because it is a sign of weakness. However, in elderly people, and especially in males, frequent crying can be seen, suggesting that emotions are surfacing. Control of emotion changes, especially emotions related to memories that surface from the past or to death events in the present.

Mourning: Losing their contemporary people is more common in the elderly, so the mourning is even more prominent. The frequent crying was discussed above. The theory of health psychology and the positive psychology that develops from it should also be considered in this context. The inevitable fact of death in the earlier healing models could not be manifested because it meant an error factor. Even though “everyone dies, but no one is dead,” according to the Tibetan Death Book. Modern health psychology and related positive psychology, in turn, bring death to the discursive space in order that it can be prepared for.

Suicidal thoughts: These thoughts come unexpectedly and can have serious consequences. Therefore, diagnostics in the elderly are important to exclude actual depression from just a bitter mood. It is also necessary to monitor the social situation of the elderly because there may be very prosaic reasons for suicidal thoughts.

Anxiety disorders and the side effects of antipsychotics are common in the elderly and often accompany a mood disorder. To become more manageable, the two should be differentiated. Anxiety conditions worsen afternoons and evenings. Sleeping difficulties and vegetative nerve activation are more common, less adaptive, and more dependent. While the depressed state is worse in the morning, it comes with a loss of energy and can cause problems with sleeping.

Emotional waves, mood swings, depression, and anxiety should be differentiated. Sometimes moodiness, manifests in increased activity, with compulsive and emphatic joking. This can be a burden to the social environment and may cause negative reactions.

Content disturbances of thought

Suspicious behaviour: The elderly person may become the “child” of a dominant parent and need to be supervised, even in the most fundamental aspects of sustainment. This will be processed through a self-protecting mechanism.

Delusions of theft or persecution: There may be accusations such as: “Stealing of all my belongings,” “their house is not their own home,” “impostor relatives,” “abandonment,” “infidelity, cheating,” etc. These delusions have to be verified because they may have a basis in some cases.

Hypochondria complaints: Convulsions are common, but they may be unusual in character. The reasons for this have been discussed above, in the changed perception section. Sensory sensations can not only change in the sense organs, but impulses may increase in the direction of the visceral organs.