While your elderly loved one may have been living with anxiety their entire life, you might just be noticing it, or they might be reaching a point where they are no longer managing it well. Many of the steps people take when they are younger to deal with anxiety that they feel may not work as well as they age, especially if they have always been trying to manage it completely on their own. Companion care at home providers can support loved ones with managing their anxiety and watching for symptoms.

Elderly individuals often have additional stressors added to their lives, such as the death of a loved one, financial concerns, or health concerns, and those additional stressors can take what felt like a manageable anxiety disorder and elevate it to a point where they need to take more focused steps toward managing it and being able to enjoy their life fully.

Common Anxiety Disorders

Some common anxiety disorders that can affect seniors (as well as anyone else) include:

Companion Care at Home Sanger, CA – Steps to Help Your Elderly Loved One Manage Their Anxiety

Panic Disorder. With this type of anxiety, your elderly loved one may feel sudden rushes of terror that cause a racing heart, weakness, and sometimes fainting. They are usually random and often not triggered by anything specific in the moment.

Phobias. Phobias are an intense fear of an item, place, or situation. It’s not merely a dislike, but causes outright panic when confronted. They can make the person want to flee immediately.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. OCD causes a person to struggle with intrusive compulsive thoughts or behaviors that are difficult to stop.

Post traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD is commonly linked to veterans, but it can affect anyone who has gone through a traumatic event and then is triggered by a current situation, making them feel like they are right back in that traumatic situation.

Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety can present in many ways, but common symptoms include:

• Racing Heart and Chest Pain
• Shaking
• Difficulty Breathing
• Confusion
• Feeling like they’re going to pass out.
• Headaches
• Inability to sleep
• Irrational thoughts

Three Steps to Managing Anxiety

Helping your elderly loved one manage their anxiety will help them be able to enjoy all that comes their way to the fullest.

Here are three steps you can encourage them to take to manage their anxiety.

Become more knowledgeable about it. Getting a professional diagnosis and learning what triggers their anxiety and then what its symptoms are, can be a great first step for your elderly loved one to start the journey toward managing their anxiety better. For many seniors, the first step before the first step may just be admitting they have an anxiety disorder.

Find a good support system. If your loved one can find someone or a group of people with whom they can be truthful about what they are feeling, it can help tremendously just to be heard and understood. While friends and family can often be a part of that support network, encourage your loved one to also consider joining a support group.

Live a balanced life. This can mean eating well, getting good sleep, and taking care of themselves. For some, having someone help with meals and housework by providing companion care at home is a great resource. Companion care at home providers can support healthy life choices while also providing a supportive shoulder to lean on when your loved one is having a bad day.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Companion Care at Home Services in Sanger, CA, please contact the caring staff at Everlight Home Care today. Call us at 559-353-2847.

Private Duty Home Care in Fresno, Madera, Kern Counties, and surrounding communities. Call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Gina Kendall

Gina Kendall has over 25 years of work experience serving the aging and the disabled. Her extensive experience in care and management began as a Social Services Coordinator in skilled nursing facilities. While working in this capacity, she became aware of the need for, and the importance of, good, quality, home care. Gina worked with families to keep their loved ones home and avoid a return visit to the hospital. As she continued her career of service, she began working with the disabled population helping to expand and improve their independence throughout all aspects of life.

This combination of experiences has afforded Gina a unique view of the needs of the aging and the disabled and how to best serve those needs in a home setting.

Gina’s Central Valley roots run deep. She earned her BA degree from Fresno State in 1993 and has lived and worked in Fresno for the past 20 years. In addition to raising her family in Fresno, she is actively involved in her local church and is a volunteer for various local community organizations.

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