8th Jul 2025

Psychological Needs Of The Elderly In Ireland

Emotional and mental challenges suffered by older people result in different types of psychological issues such as loneliness, depression, anxiety, etc. Psychological needs of a person is are important to maintain the overall well-being. 

The nurses and healthcare officials can contribute to the mental well-being of the older adults and improve their quality of life for the elderly by adopting a holistic approach. 

What Are The Common Psychological Needs Of The Elderly

Psychological needs of older adults can help them feel safe, valued, and connected. It reduces the chances of feeling like loneliness, anxious, depressed, stressed, fearful, etc. in them. Some of the common psychological needs of the elderly are as follows.

Feeling of connectivity and belonging

Social disconnection can lead to self-isolation. Meaningful conversations can improve mental health in older adults. Interactions with family, friends, community people, and your close ones can provide you with emotional support and psychological well-being, along with that, it will also keep you engaged and feel connected. 

Finding Meaning And Purpose

After the social disconnection, self-isolation, changing roles, retirement, etc, older people try to figure out their role and purpose in life. Their mental health is affected a lot by their past life and experiences. They start questioning their existence. finding meaning and purpose in their life will help them to live with comfort, provide emotional support, and maintain the dignity of life.

Desire For Respect And Dignity

Respect is a basic psychological need for all people. Older people, at the end-stage of their life, lose hope and suffer from disrespect by their family members and children. They start questioning their value in life. They want to be respected to maintain their dignity in life. 

Safety and Security

A safe and secure environment maintains your inner peace. It can reduce the effect of anxiety, stress, and fear in older patients who are suffering from dementia and cognitive issues.

It gives them peace of mind and confidence to live securely.

Emotional Support

Old people are emotionally weak because of loneliness, fear of death, self-isolation, etc. They want emotional support from their family members, and loved ones, by active listening, and respect, which makes them feel safe and understood. It also give them peace of mind and safety.

Maintaining cognitive health and mental stimulation

Elderly people want to keep their minds active and fresh so that they can make their own decisions. By the time, the chances of cognitive decline increase. To reduce these chances, elderly people must be enrolled in different tasks. Activities such as puzzle solving, book reading, and storytelling will help older people to keep their brains sharp and active. 

Decision making and a chance to solve an issue

Different types of learning activities, such as games like Sudoku, solving puzzles, can enhance your problem-solving and decision-making skills. It builds a sense of ability within you to do any task effectively. It reduces the feeling of worthlessness in older adults. It maintains a sense of value and is capable of making decisions related to their health, food, finance, etc.

Common Mental Health Challenges Faced By the Elderly 

Aged people often face mental issues and challenges, which sometimes cause various serious types of disease as well. Mental well-being is very important for overall well-being because if ignored, it can increase the effect of illness and other diseases on the patient. It can reduce the chances of their recovery. 

Nurses, healthcare professionals, and families must recognize these issues which will help to avoid the long-term mental issues and cognitive decline.

Some of the psychological challenges faced  by the elderly are:

    • Self-Isolation and Loneliness
    • Anxiety and Depression in Seniors
    • Dementia and cognitive decline in the elderly 
    • Feeling of loss, regret, and guilt
    • Fear of aging and elder abuse awareness
    • Fear of death

Elderly Mental Health Support In Ireland

In Ireland, HSE and Community organisations provide mental health support to the elderly, including services such as: 

  • Geriatric Counseling and Therapy
  • Community Support for Older Adults
  • Day centres offer social and mental activities for the elderly
  • Home Care Services supporting emotional and mental well-being

Methods to Provide Better Care for Irish Nursing Students 

  • Recognize the importance of Psychological needs.
  • Engage seniors in creative and stimulating activities.
  • Respecting their culture.
  • Observing signs of hopefulness, distress, etc.
  • Be consistent and empathetic in your approach.
  • Encourage learning, memory, and decision-making.
  • Work with families and teams to create cognitive health plans.
  • Advocate for person-centred care in every setting.

Conclusion

Understanding and managing the psychologicall needs of the elderly is considered important to provide a holistic and personalised care to older people in the Ireland. By promoting mental stimulation, creative expression, social connectivity, etc., nursing students can contribute largely to maintaining dignity and independence in the lives of the elderly. This can enhance the quality of care in the healthcare system of Ireland.

Need Support In Nursing Assignments? Connect With Our Experts Now

If you want guidance from the top PhD experts in nursing and healthcare assignments, connect with our team and hire your expert now! Access all the benefits offered by us and increase your chances to boost your grades and achieve the top results in your nursing field. 

Our top Phd Native experts will guide you in all areas of your academics. They have years of expertise with different assignments on old aged care. We provide exclusive services to all our learners, such as:

We provide all the services at budget-friendly prices. It will not include any type of AI content; it will be 100% plagiarism-free. We provide you with well-researched, structured, and professional work that is 100% human-written and original.