6 Tips to Deal with Anxiety in Seniors

Taking care of aging parents is not a joke. No one understands what it’s like handling senior issues like people whose parents are facing them. The main problem is that as they age, certain negativities arise in their behavior. Seniors may become more anxious and uneasy, not to mention stubborn. It’s not their fault but there should be a solution to it. The anxiety might be a side effect of illness, it’s just a partner that tags along. However, there are ways you can deal with this, thus giving you and your older parents some well-deserved relief.

1. Expose Them to A Community

It is common for seniors to face certain amounts of loneliness. These types of feelings arise in most retiring individuals as they age. As a child or loved one, you should be a source of companionship, encouragement and a leaning shoulder for your aged relative. However, they need it even in your absence. If the senior has faced feelings of anxiety before, putting them in spaces of community friendship may help them in large amounts. It poses as a form of relief and just gives them someone to talk to. Connect them with their old friends, family members they haven’t spoken to in a while, or even senior assistance professionals.

2. Make Them Practice Breathing Exercises

We know, we know. It might sound cliché but breathing and calming exercises actually relax the mind in a way like no other. Let your senior get into this habit and it will help them. Mild cases of anxiety can be treated with a few exercises a day. The best way to do this is by taking slow but steady breaths and counting down to each number after everyone. Allow the aged loved one to slowly get used to the process and it will calm them down in no time.

3. Install A Panic Alarm System

Since seniors tend to get more anxious as they age, emergency situations might be more difficult for them to handle. This might increase even more in your absence. How do you make sure your loved one will be alright in emergency situations? You can install a panic alarm where they’re staying. Having it there gives the senior a sense of relief and helps them feel less anxious when they’re alone. Life response systems may also help in a similar manner.

4. Allow Them to Follow A Certain Routine

This is especially beneficial for dementia patients. Patients suffering from such cases tend to face anxiety and uneasiness due to the forgetfulness that ultimately leads to shock. Adapting a routine may reduce the chances of that and keep the patient at ease. Even for seniors without a specific illness, following a routine helps them stay busy and keeps their mind off things that may cause anxious tendencies. Positive approaches work great so keep giving them that.

5. Tend to Night-time Stress

Most elders stress about their illnesses and problems at night when they’re supposed to be asleep. This stress does not allow them to rest well and they also ruin the next morning as well. This tendency is actually quite common in the age group. But it’s still not healthy for them. In order to get them to stop worrying every night, you have to break certain habits. For example, if they like to sing, you can buy a home karaoke system for them so that they can enjoy a little and calm themselves, or if they like DIY like woodworking they can check the best sander reviews. If they usually grumble and ache in pain about their illness, listen to them. If you’re away from the senior, call them around their bedtime. It makes wonders for their sleeping routine.

6. Get Professional Help

If you’ve tried the above methods before and hasn’t helped calm the senior down, professional assistance is the next best move. You should especially contact a doctor if you feel like the elder’s anxiety symptoms are increasing more than usual. It might be a sign that the levels of worry may be reaching extreme levels in which professional care is necessary. After this, specific medicines may be prescribed to the patient which can help reduce the symptoms to a certain extent.

Anxiety is something that can reach literally anyone. However, it’s the levels that matter and the care needed depends on them too. Overall, pay attention to your aged loved ones and always make them feel cared for and loved.