Stress Management in the Elderly

7 Tips to Improve Cognition & Emotion in the Elderly's Mental health Common mental health issues like anxiety and depression can have a negative impact on physical health and wellness for seniors. From memory problems and cognitive decline to a growing loneliness epidemic, seniors are especially vulnerable to mental health issues. In many cases, sadness and social isolation can have additional negative side effects and increase the risk of serious health problems. The good news about Senior Mental Health The good news about Senior Mental Health is that there are a number of activities and resources available to help keep the older adults close to you engaged and in good mental health and spirits.

How stress affects seniors, and how to manage it - The American Institute of Stress Exercise, breathing techniques, and medication can help you manage stress as you get older. We all experience a little stress from time to time. It’s not so hard to handle when we’re young. But as we age, coping with stress isn’t as easy anymore. “We tend to have less resilience to stress, and older adults often find that stress affects them differently now,” says Dr. Michelle Dossett, an internal and integrative medicine specialist at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine.

Stress: Why does it happen and how can we manage it? Stress is a natural feeling of not being able to cope with specific demands and events. However, stress can become a chronic condition if a person does not take steps to manage it. These demands can come from work, relationships, financial pressures, and other situations, but anything that poses a real or perceived challenge or threat to a person’s well-being can cause stress. Stress can be a motivator, and it can even be essential to survival. The body’s fight-or-flight mechanism tells a person when and how to respond to danger.

Promotes creativity When we think of the benefits of recreational activities for seniors, the first thing that comes to mind is often the enjoyment value. And while the importance of enjoyment value can’t be overstated, there are also important emotional, cognitive, and physical benefits to recreational activities. Emotional Benefits Senior citizens, especially when they’ve experienced health setbacks, are often at a higher risk for depression and anxiety than other age groups. Organized recreational activities can help reduce this risk in more than one way. 4 Ways to Alleviate Senior Loneliness and Depression As humans, we strive to live healthily and pursue success and happiness. There needs to be a balance between physical and mental well being. When you think about senior wellness, it’s usually associated with physical health or dementia-prevention, but we often forget that seniors also might struggle with loneliness and depression. Mental Health America lists some startling facts about seniors and depression in the United States: 1 out of 17 Americans aged 65+ suffer from some form of depressionSeniors aged 65+ account for 20% of all suicide deaths in the United StatesApproximately 68% of Americans aged 65 and over know little or nothing about depression As we age, sometimes changes occur that might cause us to experience stress and sadness.

'Like a knife poking my heart': Loss, loneliness and the killing pain of elderly depression SINGAPORE: Linda Loh remembers a time when her 85-year-old mother used to be a “very nice person”. As the tantrums began, at first the family put this down to Mdm Lee Sui Yee’s old age – but then, nothing seemed acceptable to her. “I’d talk to her, but she’d say that I never listen to her,” said her daughter. “I’d try to cool myself down … just walk into the kitchen and stay away from her. Stress: Signs, Symptoms, Management & Prevention What is stress? Stress is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Stress is a normal part of life. Prevents Alzheimer's Disease As they get older, many people worry about developing Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. If they have a family member with Alzheimer's, they may wonder about their family history and genetic risk. As many as 5.5 million Americans age 65 and older live with Alzheimer's.

The Basics of Stress Stress is a situation that triggers a particular biological response. When you perceive a threat or a major challenge, chemicals and hormones surge throughout your body. Stress triggers your fight-or-flight response in order to fight the stressor or run away from it. Typically, after the response occurs, your body should relax. Stress relief tips for older adults Know the symptoms, get the treatment right for you Stress in adults, especially older adults, has many causes. You may experience it as a result of managing chronic illness, losing a spouse, being a caregiver, or adjusting to changes due to finances, retirement, or separation from friends and family. Nine Ways Stress is More Dangerous Than You Think High-pressure workdays, long commutes, raising kids, not enough sleep or exercise, trying to make ends meet. The accumulated stresses of everyday life can damage your health in irreversible ways — from early aging to heart problems to long-term disability. Some people believe stress makes them perform better.

Improves memory and thinking skills There are plenty of good reasons to be physically active. Big ones include reducing the odds of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Maybe you want to lose weight, lower your blood pressure, prevent depression, or just look better. Here’s another one, which especially applies to those of us (including me) experiencing the brain fog that comes with age: exercise changes the brain in ways that protect memory and thinking skills.

Best and Worst Ways to Cope With Stress Worst: Eat your feelings Like alcohol or drugs, food often becomes a crutch when coping with difficult times. Soothing your pain with high-calorie, high-sugar, or high-fat comfort foods feels good at first, but it can quickly spiral out of control when your mind and body begin to associate negative emotions with eating. At the first sign of stress, anger, or sadness you'll instinctively reach for food rather than dealing with the feelings at hand.

Stress Management for Senior Health Stress management has been associated with increased senior health and well-being. While retirement seems to be a time of little stress. After all, with job stress that’s been endured for decades out of the picture, one may wonder if there even is stress after retirement — senior stress can still originate from relationships, finances, and retirement itself, as well as from many other areas of life. The following are effective methods of stress management that may be especially conducive to senior health. Meditation