Why It’s Important to Identify Stressors as a Senior

Throughout life there will be ups and downs, stress naturally happens. Your loved one who is aging in place will need to learn how to cope with stress in healthy ways, practice self-compassion, but also identify stressors. It can be hard to do this on their own and a lot easier for someone on the outside to observe the stressors. If your loved one needs help managing their stress level, they may need the help from elder care. These are caregivers who can help identify problems that may be causing stress and help them develop a good routine that allows them to age in place. Elder care can take notes on what is causing stress to help manage daily life easier.

How to Recognize Stress

Believe it or not there are three types of stress in life. A senior can be experiencing any one of these. However, when you know which type of stress a senior is dealing with it means you can better manage it.

Here are the three types of stress:

• Acute Stress – This is a short term stress that can develop quickly but also may not last very long. If your senior has given up driving, has had a lifestyle change, or even goes through something exciting, they can feel stressed! Elder care may know the sudden change and may help them navigate this part of life easily. It may go just as quickly as it started.
• Episodic Acute Stress – When a senior is battling episodic stress it is the same as acute stress but it happens frequently. It may not happen all of the time but it may happen a lot. This is usually revolving finances, technology, or trying to do too many things while aging in place.
• Chronic Stress – Long-term stress that a senior feels every day is the most damaging kind of stress that needs to be avoided at all costs. Chronic stress can truly impact how long a senior lives and how well they can live. It is usually triggered by someone’s health, relationships, finances, and even some deep fears.

Elder care can help a senior identify what kind of stress they are going through but if a senior is experiencing chronic stress they may need more help. Your loved one may need to seek therapy or a doctor who can help manage stress through medications.

How to Handle Stress

There are healthy ways to handle stress but a senior may need guidance from elder care. Your loved one should focus on putting themselves first and understanding why they are feeling stressed. Sit down and talk to elder care about the issues and see how they can help your loved one thrive. They may have good ideas that will help limit the amount of stress a senior feels. Here are some other easy ways to manage stress.

• Get Moving – Moving can help boost natural happy chemicals in the body and may reduce the amount of stress a senior feels.
• Be Mindful – Even five minutes a day can help a senior manage their stress levels.
• Go to Bed – Sleep is one of the best ways to manage mood and stress levels.

If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in South River, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care today. Call (732) 607-8870.