Your senior’s life now may be much different than she expected it would be. That’s why it’s so important to focus not only on her physical health, but also on her emotional health.
Talk to Her Doctor about Exercise
More often than you might think, moving a little more can be incredibly helpful when managing emotional well-being. Exercise helps to release endorphins, for starters, and it can also help to manage other health issues that affect your senior’s emotional health. Talk with her doctor about exercise and how it might be helpful for your senior’s overall well-being.
Ask about Her Feelings
This one can be tougher, especially if your senior isn’t the sort to talk about how she’s feeling. But being able to talk about feelings and why they’re there can be really helpful in sorting through them and managing them. For example, your senior might be frustrated about some things that she can’t do any longer. Talking about that frustration can help her to work through it and might even help you both to come up with solutions.
Find Ways to Bolster Her Social Life
If your elderly family member isn’t out and about as much as she used to be, she might be getting a little more isolated socially than she realizes. Having a social outlet can do a lot for her, emotionally speaking. Look for ways to include other people in her life in as many ways as you can. This might also be a good way to bring in home care providers to help her with other tasks.
Do What You Can to Respect Her Privacy
It can be upsetting to face some of the changes that your elderly family member is facing right now. That’s why preserving her privacy when and where you can is much more helpful than you might think. She may not have a choice about some of the things that people know about her life, but where she can, privacy can help her to feel that some parts of her life are still hers.
Remember She’s Not a Child
There may be more ways that you’re helping your senior now than ever before, but don’t let that cause you to accidentally treat her in a childish way. Using pet names and infantilizing terms can be frustrating to be on the receiving end of for your senior. Avoiding all of that can help her to feel empowered even when she does need help.
There’s a lot that impacts your senior’s mental health and emotional well-being. Do the best you can and talk with her about what else might help.
If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Home Care in St. Petersburg, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.
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Becky Moultrie is Owner and Administrator of Assisting Hands Home Care Serving Pinellas. Guided by a motto to Do Good with Love, she’s well positioned to do just that at Assisting Hands. She has a passion for helping families keep seniors and those who are diabled happy and healthy at home. She serves on a number of boards in Pinellas County including the Pinellas Park Gateway Chamber and Better Living Seniors (BLS), leading the Membership Committee. Annually, she hosts a Silver Santa Party, collecting donations for nearly 100 low income seniors in the county. She attends Blessed Sacrament Church, Seminole where she is an Ascribed Member of the Rosminian Order. When not busy Doing Good in the community, Becky is at home with her husband David & their 4 children, tending to their beehives and digging in the garden.
