How Can Family Caregivers Understand the Emotional Needs of Seniors?

Addressing physical needs for seniors is really important as they age, of course, but there are emotional needs that have to be met, too. Sometimes those emotional needs are unknown even for the aging adults themselves. It’s hard to face big changes, especially when they seem to be coming too quickly. One solution that can help is to hire home care providers to assist with underlying concerns.

Addressing Loneliness and Social Isolation

One of the most common issues facing aging adults is that they’re more likely to be lonely and dealing with social isolation. This happens because their social circle often shrinks due to friends moving, passing away, or becoming homebound. Family members may also be much busier and unable to visit often. As health changes keep seniors close to home, they’re even more likely to become isolated. Finding solutions for loneliness, like bringing in home care providers, can resolve a great many issues for seniors.

Watching for Depression and Anxiety

Seniors can also experience anxiety and depression. There are lots of potential causes for depression ranging from grief and loss to feeling helpless about life. Anxiety might be caused by changes in set routines, fear of injury, or even worries about losing independence. All of these issues are very real and valid concerns, even if the likelihood of them impacting someone seem small. What matters is that the person is able to talk to someone about how they’re feeling. Often family caregivers need to just be there for their aging adults.

Protecting Against Loss of Independence

Independence is something that seniors treasure, and for good reason. Being able to continue to live on their own terms, and often in their own homes, is crucial. Often this is a reason for seniors to avoid accepting help, sometimes even from family members. Elder care providers are able to help seniors manage daily life without harming their sense of independence at all.

Preventing Loss of Identity

In the prime of life, people tend to feel as if they know who they are. Their identity might be wrapped up in what they do for a living or in their relationships with other people. As they age, they may feel as if they start to lose that identity because aging brings changes that are difficult to predict. Family caregivers can help to prevent loss of identity by encouraging seniors to participate in the activities that align with their preferences and interests.

Working through Fear of the Future

There can be a lot of fear in aging. Seniors may worry that their family members won’t be able to take care of them or that their own health will worsen significantly. Whatever their worries are, seniors need to know that they’re heard. Asking about those fears and working through solutions ahead of time can help.

Seniors have some big emotional and psychological needs and family caregivers can do a lot more for the people they love than they might think. Sometimes the key is to bring in home care providers to offer practical help where it makes sense to do so.

If you are considering home care in Las Vegas, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.