April is National Stress Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to talk to your senior about any concerns you may have regarding their stress levels. Stress can take a serious toll on seniors, both emotionally and physically, especially if it goes unaddressed. For many, stress may even stem from challenges in managing daily tasks at home, which is where home care can make a big difference.
Home care services not only provide practical assistance but can also help reduce stress, giving seniors the support they need to feel more at ease.
What Might Stress Look Like For Your Senior
If you feel like your elderly loved one is under a lot of stress, but each time you ask him about it, he says he’s fine, look for these indications that he might be dealing with a lot more stress than he’s letting on.
- He’s been acting especially irritable or has what is sometimes called a short trigger. He loses his temper easily and can’t seem to calm down easily after something negative happens.
- He’s complaining of physical ailments like an upset stomach or headaches.
- He seems tired all of the time and has no energy to participate in activities.
- He’s easily overwhelmed by normal daily activities. He might cry more often when minor things go wrong.
Health Problems That Come From Stress
Chronic stress without relief can seriously harm your loved one’s health. One common condition triggered by stress is inflammation, which can negatively impact nearly every area of the body. Inflammation is linked to serious issues like hardening of the arteries, cancer, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and more.
Stress over time can also affect cognitive abilities, such as concentrating or problem-solving, making it harder for your loved one to function daily or make good decisions.
Additionally, long-term stress often leads to unhealthy coping mechanisms. These may include addictive behaviors like smoking or drinking, overeating and weight gain, or inactivity and a lack of necessary exercise.
To help combat these effects, consider incorporating home care services into your loved one’s routine. Home care services can provide support, reduce stress, and encourage healthy habits, ensuring your loved one has the assistance they need to maintain their health and well-being.
Finding Help For Your Loved One to Reduce Stress
There are many causes of stress, some that your loved one can’t do anything about and others that you can help him find a solution for. For some seniors who are dealing with stress, the state of their home compounds those stress levels because they can no longer care for it like they used to. Your elderly loved one could find relief by having someone come to his home and assist him with home care tasks and chores.
A home care provider can regularly visit your loved one’s home to help him with household chores such as laundry, cleaning up, the dishes, dusting, and so much more. By getting some assistance from a home care provider, your loved one will feel the added stress of not being able to manage his home on his own.
You may not be able to remove all of the stressors in your loved one’s life, but with a bit of help from a home care team, you can relieve one area, giving him more capacity to deal with other forms of stress more efficiently.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Sun Lakes, AZ, please contact the caring staff at Legacy Home Care today. Call (480) 777-0070
Legacy Home Care is a top provider of home care services in Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Sun Lakes, Chandler, Gilbert, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Phoenix, and surrounding areas.
Legacy Home Care has been serving the valley since 2007. We are family owned and operated with over 75 caregivers. We offer a customized care plan that includes services such as: Hourly Senior Home Care, 24-Hour Home Care, Dementia Care, Personal Care and Companion Care. Also ask us about our Veterans' Home Care program.
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