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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to that depression in the elderly has become a serious healthcare issue worldwide.
Learning Objective 2: "The learner will be able to know that the participants used self-care strategies to manage their depressive symptoms
Methods: A cross-sectional design was used. Patients (N = 20) of these two units who were 78 years old or above and without severe cognitive deficit participated in this study.
Results: More than half of the participants (53%) were identified by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) as depressed. Most participants (93%) used self-care strategies to manage their depressive symptoms. The most frequently used strategy was "taking a walk/stroll." Self-learning was the main information source for self-care strategies. Analysis indicated that cognitive function, perceived health status, and functional decline were significant predictors of depression among this sample of participants.
Conclusions: As older persons tended to engage in activities and to interact with others to manage their depressive symptoms, healthcare providers in acute setting may consider arranging enough activities and people contacts for patients. Due to the limited number of healthcare providers in these two units, increasing the knowledge of both health care providers and patients about depression and self-care management strategies is recommended