Seniors like everyone else, can easily become overwhelmed and stressed. Believe it or not, stress plays a huge role in the body and not always in a good way. Your elderly mom or dad needs to learn how to manage their stress level if they want to age in place. Senior home care can help limit a ton of stress, but it’s important to understand side effects of stress, and how stress might make living at home harder. Here are some impacts of stress you may not even know about and here are some ways in-home care may be able to help your loved one.
Stress Can Make a Senior Have an Upset Stomach
When a senior becomes super stressed they may become inflamed and this can impact their stomach lining. When their stomach lining becomes inflamed it can cause irritation and discomfort. Sometimes the stomach discomfort will come in the form of heartburn, diarrhea, or even constipation. If your loved one is experiencing discomfort, in-home care can help fix them ginger tea to help soothe their stomachs, or prepare an easy meal with a lot of fiber. Eating a well rounded diet may help limit this effect of stress. However, your loved one should be learning how to handle and cope with stressful situations and learning how to manage their stress level the best way they can. By avoiding stressful things or learning how to unwind after a stressful event they can avoid most of the negative impacts of having long-term stress.
They May Struggle With Stress and Obesity
A senior who is chronically stressed out may find unhealthy ways to cope with the stress by eating more. Not only may they eat more, their body may crave sugar and salty foods that are naturally higher calorie with lower nutritional value. Stress can also impact how much someone moves around, they may choose to move less when feeling super stressed out. All of this unfortunately, works against your elderly loved one, and it could cause obesity. The best way to avoid this is to learn to move your body when you’re stressed. Retrain your brain to want exercise to cope with stress, this works for seniors too. Instead of watching TV, encourage them to get out into nature. Being outside in the fresh air can boost their mood and minimize stress.
Stress Can Lead to Depression
Stress unfortunately impacts a senior’s life even when they have help from senior in-home care. They are already at risk of developing depression, and stress doesn’t help them manage that. Depression can happen for many reasons but if your loved one is constantly feeling stress of aging in place or even just getting older it can lead to serious harm. Your loved one may be unhappy and battling the blues but this is something to watch. If their unhappiness and stress lasts longer than a few weeks they may be struggling with depression and they may need to see a professional about it. Your loved one needs a strong support system when they choose to age in place.
If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care in Fort Lee, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Applause Home Care today. Call (201) 326-8051
Applause Home Care provides independent, non-franchised quality Home Care for elders and families in and around Fort Lee, Hackensack, Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Paramus, Glen Rock, Pompton Plains, Franklin Lakes, Westwood, Montvale, and Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
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