Recognizing Stress in Elderly Relatives
Everyone experiences stress in their lifetime, from children to elderly adults.
Sometimes it is just for a short amount of time and sometimes it becomes a chronic condition that affects the health. Many people don’t realize that elderly adults can experience tremendous stress. Even though they have already raised their children and have retired, there are still many factors that trigger stress in elderly adults.
Senior Care Northville MI: Senior Mental Health
Stress in aging adults comes from any number of sources, from dealing with health issues and worrying about chronic conditions. Other triggers of stress include grieving for friends and family members that pass on, worry about finances, lack of mobility to do what they want and growing more lonely and isolated. When elderly adults are limited by what they can do for themselves and must rely on elder care assistance for basic tasks, it can generate a lot of stress.
Family caregivers must watch out for the signs of stress in elderly adults. They need to let a doctor know if they suspect their aging relative is suffering due to chronic stress. Here are just a few of the more common symptoms of stress as it manifests in elderly adults.
Mood Swings
While everyone has both good and bad moods, seniors with lots of stress may seem to be more irritated or angry than usual. In some seniors, stress manifests as sadness and depression. The mood may go from euphoric to extremely sad, often within a day or so. Family caregivers should get advice from a doctor if they suspect their elderly relative is dealing with irrational and even harmful mood swings.
Changing Appetite
Many elderly adults turn to food as a source of stress relief and overeat dramatically. Others lose their appetite completely and refuse to partake of anything but the most basic food. Seniors really need to eat well-balanced meals and nutritious food in moderate portions or their health could suffer even more. An elder care aide can be hired to grocery shop and prepare meals.
Dwindling Concentration
When an elderly person is stressed, they are usually preoccupied with their own thoughts and often forget things. They might not be able to concentrate on tasks at hand and forget simple things like names and dates. The more stress they encounter, the greater the lack of focus.
Physical Aches and Pains
Stress triggers all kinds of physical issues within an elderly person’s body. It can lead to upset stomach, insomnia, chest pain, headaches, and nausea. Often, seniors think they are getting a cold or the flu when their symptoms are caused by stress.
Elderly adults should not have to deal with lots of stress on their own. In fact, the first step to dealing with stress is to share concerns with someone, like a family caregiver. Seniors are jeopardizing their health and their quality of life when they ignore stress and refuse to deal with any negative effects. Family caregivers must learn to recognize the signs of stress in their elderly relatives because often seniors won’t recognize their own stress levels are high. Also, many elderly people simply don’t know how to deal with chronic stress on their own.
If you are considering hiring Senior Care in Northville, MI, contact the caring staff at No Place Like Home Health, LLC today. Call (734) 259-4200.
Source:
- Navigating Bladder Health for Seniors - April 15, 2024
- Improving the Quality of Life for a Senior With Disabilities - April 2, 2024
- How Physical Therapy Helps Elders with Alzheimer’s Be More Active - March 18, 2024
