Many seniors find themselves suffering from anxiety today. This fact may not come as a surprise to you, primarily if you work with these people. You may not even be shocked to learn that as many as 20% of this population suffers from anxiety today.
Unfortunately, so many of our loved ones are suffering in this regard. Many of us are now asking ourselves what we can do to help them. Fortunately, there are a few tips you may want to try.
Understanding Anxiety in Seniors
While we tend to focus on the physical health of seniors, we can’t forget to consider their mental health too. Today our elderly are feeling more anxiety and stress than ever before. It’s essential to understand why anxiety in seniors is on the rise.
What Causes Anxiety in the Elderly
Many caretakers don’t understand why their elderly patients are feeling so anxious. However, there are quite a few common reasons why it occurs. Some of them include being:
- Isolation from loved ones
- Nervous about medical care, especially when it comes to COVID
- Exposed to coverage about the death
- Reliant on loved ones for their everyday tasks (something that also makes them feel guilty)
- Powerless when it comes to their inability to help others anymore
How to Help Seniors Cope with Stress
Anxiety in seniors isn’t something that you should take lightly. It’s essential to show your concern. There are several ways in which you can do this.
Be an Active Listener
Seniors want to know that their concerns are being acknowledged. According to the World Health Organization, it’s essential to allow them to speak freely. Doing so allows you to know when there’s anxiety in seniors.
Help Seniors Maintain a Routine
The best way to forego anxiety first thing in the morning is to finish eating breakfast before turning on the news. Besides having a breakfast time routine, you should also have one at dinner. Eating at a scheduled time will help reduce sundown syndrome.
Teach Mindfulness
When you notice anxiety in seniors, it’s important to remind them of skills that they’ve used in the past to manage these emotions. Mindfulness techniques include things like meditation, therapy, and journaling. Listening to music from their childhood or taking a quiet bath can also be beneficial.
Encourage Good Health, Including Exercise
Everyone knows that exercise has a positive effect on both mental and physical well-being. Studies have shown that when older people regularly attend fitness classes or take a walk benefit greatly from such activities.
Share Favorite Memories
To help reduce anxiety in seniors, remind them of the good times in their lives. Doing so won’t only reduce their anxiety, but it’ll also put a smile on everyone’s faces. There are several ways you can do this.
Cook a Favorite Meal
Talk to them about what they enjoyed eating when they were growing up. If your older adult remembers the recipe or has an old cookbook with the recipe in it, try making it with them again.
Watch Black and White Television
Most children and teens haven’t seen black and white television shows or movies. Why not rent some favorites? Take time to talk about how things have changed over the years. Many of these are available for free on the Turner Classic Movies channel or from your local library.
Listen to Old Time, Popular Music
Whether it’s jazz, Frank Sinatra, or Elvis, there was some incredible music throughout the past decades. You can listen to this music for free online while talking about their favorite concert or their best memories of the music.
Help Those You Care About Cope with Anxiety
It’s essential to act on these tips to help seniors with anxiety. It’s also essential to ensure that they can hear what’s happening in the environment. At Countryside Hearing Aid Services in Clearwater, Dunedin, Oldsmar, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor, FL, we understand the vital role hearing plays in managing anxiety in seniors.
We want to help seniors hear and feel better. It’s the reason we’re here to provide you with hearing tests and hearing aids. Not only do we provide you with these services but our staff does care about you too. So, stop struggling to hear the environment around you and make an appointment with us today.
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