Senior Care News

Stress Awareness Month

 

Elderly Care in Crestline OH

April is Stress Awareness Month. Created in 1992, Stress Awareness Month is sponsored by The Health Resources Network “to inform people about the dangers of stress, successful coping strategies, and harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our society.”

A misconception about growing older is that with age comes less responsibilities and less stress. But that isn’t always true. Often, seniors are left with the responsibility of caring for grandchildren while their children are at work. Add declining health to the picture and you have a recipe for stress.

Another stress producer for retired adults is the cost of healthcare against their reduced income. Their bills haven’t gone away, either. When you add the need of hiring a home care provider to their already growing list of stressors, it’s easy to understand why your parents may be stressed.

According to Dr. Arthur Hayward of Kaiser Permanent’s Care Management Institute, when stressed, “the body releases substances such as cortisol and adrenaline that affect every organ and can cause muscle tension, insulin secretion, and increased heart rate.”

Stress is a silent killer that impacts millions of people worldwide every day. If you have noticed signs of stress in your parent, there are things that can be done to help.

  1. Get Them Moving – The positive impact of physical activity on the body cannot be overstated. Strenuous activity isn’t necessary. They need to get outside and go for a walk in their neighborhood. Go shopping with a loved one. Many towns have walk/bike trails that are fun to explore.
  2. Rest – A good night’s rest is critical to a good mental state. Unfortunately, worry does not end when your parent retires. After retirement, new worries emerge, making sleepless nights a possibility. If your parent is having difficulty sleeping, meditation before bedtime could be a solution. Meditation calms the mind and puts the meditator in a restful state. Reading is also a means many use of clearing the mind before bed.
  3. Identify – Help your parent identify the things that are causing them stress, then help them find solutions. Often, just knowing there’s a plan or solution in place goes a long way to relieving stress and helping your parent feel more in control.

 

Stress is a nasty byproduct of modern life, but when managed, it doesn’t have to reduce the quality of life. These are just three methods of stress reduction. By sitting with your parent and working through the things that are upsetting them, you can come up with many more solutions.

If you are considering hiring elderly care services near Crestline, Ohio, call the caring staff at Central Star Home Health at (419) 610-2161.  Providing services for families in Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, Mt. Gilead, Loudonville, Crestline, Galion, Shelby, Ashland, Wooster, and the surrounding areas.

Stephen Sternbach

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