Home Care: Stress can be debilitating at times, especially for the elderly.
For example, when you are taking care of your elderly loved one, you may notice all they want to do is lay down. The stress is literally taking up their energy and possibly even causing physical distress. If your elderly loved one is dealing with any level of stress, it is best for them to knock it out as quickly as possible. There are some tips that you or your home care providers can share with your elderly loved ones to help them do this.
Exercise Routine
Studies show that senior citizens who have exercise routines feel less stressed than those who don’t. Just based on that information, it would be a good idea for your elderly loved one to create and stick to an exercise routine. Some of the best ways for them to do this are to:
- Write down times to exercise and stick to those times
- Choose which exercises to do ahead of time
- Have someone to motivate them (such as you or a home care assistance provider)
Having a pre-set exercise routine can help to get rid of some or all the stress your elderly loved one is experiencing. It can also help to prevent some stress in the future, as well.
Better Diet
What types of foods does your elderly loved one usually eat? Are they usually eating pizza and frozen foods? Do they eat a lot of carbs? Those foods aren’t good for stress and can actually make it worse. If your elderly loved one had moderate to high-stress levels, it would be a good idea for them to develop and stick to a better diet. Some of the foods they should start eating are:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Smoothies
- Salmon
- Healthy fats
You can even lookup stress-reducing diets. Then, when you or the home care assistance provider does the grocery shopping for your elderly loved one, you can get foods from that diet.
Stop Watching or Listening to the News
Does your elderly loved one often watch or listen to the news? If so, as you already know, there are many negative things on the news and hardly anything positive. The news could be causing your elderly loved one too much stress. If this seems to be the case, you or your home care providers may want to encourage them to stop watching and listening to the news. Have them replace that activity with a healthier one such as doing a puzzle.
Home Care: Conclusion
Does your elderly loved one have a lot of stress? If so, these tips will, hopefully, help to lower their stress and prevent stress later on, too. If needed, you or elder care providers may have to remind your elderly loved ones to take care of themselves and reduce their stress with these tips.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in Evesham Township, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Attentive Care Inc. at 1-800-493-5660
Sources
https://www.health.harvard.edu/stress/stress-relief-tips-for-older-adults