Your elderly loved-one’s emotional health can be a window into the rest of her health. How she’s dealing with the challenges of life can vary depending on whether she’s experiencing other ailments that you haven’t narrowed down yet. Some of these reactions and signs warrant a closer look.
Excessive Worrying and Fear about the Future
Everybody worries now and again or has fears about what’s going to happen in the future but if your elderly loved-one seems to be worrying way too much, there could be something else going on. Your senior might find herself fixating on “what if” scenarios, especially if she’s experiencing health issues.
Irritability or Anger
Irritability or unexplained anger can be a side effect of medication or they can be a sign that something is going wrong. Some illnesses, such as dementia, can cause your senior’s brain to change. That might mean that she reacts differently to situations than she has in the past. Noticing these changes is the first step in figuring out what’s really going on.
Extreme or Prolonged Sadness
Everyone grieves differently and your loved one may have experienced some losses recently. But if she’s extremely sad or sad for an extremely long time, then she may be battling depression. Depression doesn’t just go away on its own. If you can determine for certain that your senior is depressed, then she can get help to manage it in the best way possible for her.
Significant Changes You Can’t Explain
As your loved-one’s family caregiver, you might know her better than most people at this point. You might start to notice that she seems a little “off,” but you’re not really able to put your finger on the cause or what’s really going on. This is your intuition letting you know something’s not quite right. Following through can help your loved-one much more quickly and saves you from wondering what they are dealing with.
Always be sure to talk to your doctor about what you’re seeing in your senior’s emotional reactions. They may be able to shed light on what is happening with them.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a caregiver in Huntington Beach, CA, please contact the caring staff at Canaan Home Care today!
1-844-CANAAN-1 (1-844-226-2261)
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