Growing old poses a series of unique challenges, so it should be no surprise that many seniors deal with recurring feelings of anxiety. It can be caused by the news, by weird noises outside, by dementia, or a variety of other issues. Regardless of the cause, knowing what you can do to help a senior relative or friend help with feelings of anxiety can be very useful. Here are some tips that may be able to help them.
1 - Community helps
Isolation can cause all sorts of mental health problems, including making feelings of anxiety more common and intense. While everyone is a little different, most people feel extra vulnerable if they are isolated or surrounded by only strangers. You can help alleviate that problem by encouraging the person you’re trying to help to engage in more group activities, helping them stay connected to friends and family online, and visiting regularly yourself.
Proposing that seniors move to a place where they’ll feel more connected can also be a good idea. This doesn’t have to be a retirement home; just moving from a big city to a suburb with an active community can be enough to help them feel more connected.
2 - Calming exercises
For a more immediate solution, you can try calming exercises. There are a variety of calming exercises available online that have been proven to be effective in helping people feel less anxious and prevent anxiety from escalating into a panic attack. Breathing exercises are easy to do and effective against anxiety. Meditation can also help, but it takes effort to get past the practice’s initial learning curve.
3 - Incentivize routines
Following a predictable routine can help people of all ages deal with feelings of stress and anxiety, and it’s no different for seniors. You can help senior relatives get on a routine by calling them at regular times, doing activities with them — watching TV, playing games, talking about your day — at the same time every day, and encouraging them to go to bed at the same time every night.
While routines are beneficial to anyone suffering from anxiety, they can be especially helpful for patients suffering from dementia. Predictable patterns and routines help them feel less disoriented throughout the day.
4 - Keep an eye on night time anxiety
Night-time tends to elevate feelings of depression and anxiety. This can be worse for the elderly, as they are often very aware that their bodies and minds are past their prime, leading to feelings of vulnerability. To make matters worse, they often feel less comfortable calling for help or emotional support at night, worried that they might be bothering whoever they call.
These and other concerns make it very important to keep night-time stress and anxiety in mind when helping a troubled relative or anxious patient. Night-time anxiety can be mitigated by encouraging seniors to go to bed at the same time every night, making sure they know they can call you for help during the night, and by giving them a phone call every night. Calling before they go to bed is often wise, as you’ll be able to hear on the phone whether they’re getting ready to bed or wide awake and anxious.
Insomnia can also make feelings of anxiety worse during the night when it isn’t caused by the anxiety itself. Sleeping pills and natural remedies like Full Spectrum CBD Oil and delta-8 THC can be used to help seniors sleep better. If chemicals don’t sound like a good idea, hiring a caregiver to watch them overnight can also be effective.