Anxiety is becoming more common in seniors, especially seniors who are living on their own. Research shows that about 1 in 4 seniors has chronic anxiety. If your parent is living alone, they could be experiencing anxiety symptoms. Companion care at home can help.
Even if your parent doesn’t mention to you that they are feeling anxious, living alone can heighten anxiety for seniors. They may not want to tell you about their feelings because they don’t want to make you worry or feel responsible. If you notice that your senior parent seems sad, withdrawn, or lonely, they could be living with anxiety too.
How To Help Your Parent
Even if you can’t move in and be there to provide companionship to your parent every day, there are things that you can do to help them manage their anxiety. One of the best ways to support your parent is to arrange companion care at home services.
Companion care at home is designed to help seniors stay socially connected and lower their risk of becoming depressed, lonely, and anxious. Your parent will get regular daily visits from a care provider who is focused on spending quality social time with your parent. They might play games with your parent, cook and share meals with them, or do activities like crafts or coloring.
In addition to getting companion care at home, you can help your parent avoid anxiety by doing things like:
Create a predictable daily routine
Uncertainty feeds anxiety. A simple, predictable routine can give your parent a sense of control and comfort. Help them plan regular times for waking up, meals, phone calls, favorite TV shows, and bedtime. Write the routine down in large print and keep it somewhere easy to see.
When your parent knows what comes next, the day feels less overwhelming and more manageable.
Stay connected in small ways
Long gaps between calls can make anxiety worse, even if you talk for hours when you do connect. Short, regular check-ins work better. A quick morning call, a short text in the afternoon, or a brief evening voice message can be enough.
The goal is not long conversations. It’s reminding your parent that someone is thinking about them and will check in again soon.
Make the home feel safer and easier to manage
Anxiety often comes from fear of something going wrong. Look around your parent’s home for small stress points. Are important phone numbers easy to find? Is the lighting good at night? Are frequently used items within easy reach?
Fixing little things reduces daily worry. When the home feels manageable, your parent feels more confident being alone.
Prepare simple plans for common worries
Many seniors replay the same fears in their minds. What if I fall? What if I feel sick? What if the power goes out? Help by creating clear, simple plans for these situations. Write down who to call, what to do first, and where supplies are kept.
Go over the plans together more than once. Knowing there is a plan can calm anxiety, even if it’s never needed.
Remind them they’re not a burden
Many anxious seniors worry they are bothering their children or asking for too much. This can stop them from reaching out when they need reassurance. Tell your parent clearly and often that checking in is welcome. Say things like, “I like hearing from you,” or “You’re never a bother to me.”
Hearing this regularly can ease guilt and reduce anxious thoughts.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Companion Care at Home in Manitou Springs, CO, please contact the caring staff at Talem Home Care & Placement Services of Colorado Springs, CO, today. Call (719) 639-2663
At Talem Home Care & Placement Services of Colorado Springs, CO, we provide passionate, understanding, and flexible caregivers in Colorado Springs, Air Force Academy, Black Forest, Cimarron Hills, Fort Carson, Gleneagle, Larkspur, Manitou Springs, Monument, Palmer Lake, Perry Park, Rock Creek Park, Security-Widefield, Stratmoor, and Woodmoor and surrounding areas in Colorado.
Sources:
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7551571/
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2819153
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