Do You Know These 5 Signs of Anxiety in Seniors?
Senior home care and caregiving can be stressful. They can give the caregiver and home care aide a lot of anxiety, but they aren’t the only ones.
Home Care Services Springfield PA – Do You Know These 5 Signs of Anxiety in Seniors?
Many seniors receiving home care services become anxious and depressed due to the change in their lifestyle, the trauma caused by the loss of a loved one or their own independence, or a variety of other factors. But how do you know if the senior you love is suffering from anxiety?
Here are a few of the most common signs and symptoms:
Dizziness, trouble breathing – Dizziness, trouble breathing, and even chest pain can all be symptoms of panic disorder, a type of anxiety that involves an intense physical reaction when a stressor is encountered (or sometimes even without the presence of said stressor). If your senior is having panic attacks, their anxiety level is very high, and they need help relaxing. They might benefit from talking to a counselor or therapist, or from talking with you or a friend about what is bothering them.
Rituals – Excessive hand-washing or even OCD rituals like flipping a light switch on and off a specific number of times can also be a signal that your loved one is suffering from anxiety. If you or your home care aide notice that your loved one can’t leave a room without checking all of the plugs first, or washing their hands several times, then it might be time to see about getting some help.
Gastrointestinal discomfort – You might have heard the expression “butterflies in your stomach” in the context of gearing up for a big speech. Anxiety is what causes those butterflies, but in a person suffering from intense anxiety, that sensation is a lot bigger and more uncomfortable than just butterflies. Nausea, diarrhea, constipation, gas, and bloating are all symptoms of anxiety, and can make your loved one very uncomfortable if they don’t find a way to deal with what is bothering them.
Moodiness – Mood swings are common with anxiety sufferers, as there is a lot more going on in their minds than some people realize. If your loved one goes from happy to sad to just plain irritable, they might be suffering from anxiety, and could use some help.
Fatigue and insomnia – Even if you don’t suffer from anxiety, you probably know the feeling of trying to fall asleep at night but being unable to turn off your brain. Thoughts and worries keep swirling around and around in your mind, and you can’t shut them off so you can go to sleep! For anxiety sufferers this is even worse, and can lead to insomnia or even the desire to not want to sleep at all, which leads to fatigue during their waking hours. Alternatively, they could be sleeping too much but still feel tired (this, though, is more a symptom of depression than anxiety).
If you or your home care services aide notice any of these symptoms in the senior you love, try talking to them about what is going on. If the problem is severe, contact a mental health care professional to see if therapy or lifestyle changes could help.
Source: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/anxiety-older-adults
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Springfield PA, please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.
Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.
"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."
In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.
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