Sunday, June 29, 2008

Anxiety and Elders

Most of the recent posts to this site have been reports of pertinent studies. All the recent postings detail trends in healthcare, not only for seniors, but also the population as a whole. However, this post is more personal. Working in the eldercare industry, I have seen plenty of anxiety among the senior population. However, in the last several weeks, I have witnessed a heightened level of anxiety in my parents and parents-in-law. When it is close to home, it is difficult to handle. However, the same strategies hold true no matter the person.

I hope this posting will begin a dialogue between those of us facing this anxiety issue among our loved ones. My advice when facing a situation of heightened anxiety among your parents is compassion. Inquire of the person what they are feeling and why they feel this way. Of course, ask these questions in a non-threatening or judgemental way.

One thing I know is that it can be frustrating to deal with a person you feel is worrying about nothing. Take each situation with patience and understand that much of this behavior is a result of some other variable. Be truthful. Be patient. Try to expand your vantage point to gain some perspective.

Please share your thoughts by clicking on the comment line on this entry. Lets get a dialogue started to help others.

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