Perhaps you were under the impression that after retirement, life would be stress-free for your elderly loved one, and they really won’t need to worry about anything except how many times they can play pickleball each week and which movie they should watch each Friday night.
Unfortunately, stress is a part of life, and anyone can feel the negative effects of too much stress at any time. It’s very possible that at some point, your loved one may become overwhelmed by stress and begin to feel it affect the quality of her daily living. Companion care at home can help.
Common Stress Factors for the Elderly
While some stress is common for everyone, some forms of stress often hit the elderly extra hard. Some common factors that may stress out your loved one can be finances, health, social engagements, and mental health.
While many of these may cause short-term stress and be quickly remedied, stress levels can become elevated when your elderly loved one doesn’t see or know of a possible solution to reducing the anxiety and stress caused by a certain situation.
Six Tips for Reducing Stress
#1 Talk about it.
You can’t help your loved one with her stress levels if you don’t really understand what is causing her so much anxiety. You might think she’s worrying too much about the finances of caring for an ill dog, when in fact, her worry stems more from the loneliness she might feel once her dog has passed on.
#2 Fix the problem.
While this isn’t always possible, it can help your loved one to brainstorm ways to fix the issue. If your loved one is stressed because her home is always dirty, talk to her about having a companion care at home provider visit once a week to clean the house.
If her stress is based on being alone too much, that companion care at home provider can also provide the companionship she seeks during more frequent visits.
#3 Get support.
If your loved one has a health condition that is causing her stress but isn’t comfortable talking about it to others, have her join a support group where she can talk to others who are going through the same thing. Having a safe place to talk about her concerns can help her manage her stress levels around them.
#4 Get enough sleep.
Everything seems worse when a person is sleep-deprived. Talk to your loved one about how she can sleep better at night so her days are brighter and her outlook is more positive.
#5 Eat better and stay active.
These two steps can help a person not only feel better physically, but mentally as well. Fresh air, sunshine, and whole foods are good for the body and the soul.
If your loved one needs assistance with preparing healthier meals or getting out and exercising regularly, a companion care at home provider can help support her efforts by assisting with meals or providing transportation to safe places for her to exercise.
#6 Get professional help.
If your loved one has discovered that stress and anxiety are seriously affecting her ability to manage her days on her own, helping her find a professional counselor who will support her and help her find the best solutions is often the best answer for reducing stress.
Don’t let your loved one’s stress continue to get worse. Help her find solutions today, like companion care at home services, so that she has a brighter tomorrow.
Providing exceptional Companion Care at Home in Centreville, VA, for seniors and families in the Northern Virginia area, including Arlington, Alexandria, McLean, Reston, Burke, Ashburn, Centreville, Springfield, Manassas, and Oakton. Call today to speak with our caring staff: (703) 272-8838.
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