For many people, when you talk about taking care of their mental health, they become overwhelmed, thinking that you are suggesting years of therapy, multiple doctor visits, taking medications, and implementing changes that they aren’t comfortable with. Oct 10 is World Mental Health Day, and it’s a great time to talk to your senior about how he can take small steps that are within his comfort zone to protect his mental health. When your loved one knows his home is well taken care of and assistance is available from a home care provider, he might be able to focus more on himself.
It’s also important to stress that he doesn’t have to be at a point where he feels his mental health is struggling. Taking care of his mental health now with small but mighty caring actions can help him prevent getting to a place where his mental health is not doing well, and more extreme measures need to be taken.
Common Causes of Mental Health Struggles in Seniors
There are an endless number of reasons a person’s mental health may suffer, but for seniors, those reasons often boil down to three main causes – loss of a loved one, physical health issues, and social isolation. Each one of these is a difficult situation, and without a proper support group as well as beneficial mental health practices, they can damage a person’s mental health and their ability to function healthily.
Five Easy Steps for Self-Care
A big part of keeping mentally and emotionally healthy is regularly taking steps to provide self-care. Many seniors may look at the idea of “self-care” as something that seems weird or unnecessary, so it can help to promote it more as just doing the things they love for themselves.
Here are five tips to get your senior started.
Find something he loves. Self-care doesn’t have any boundaries. It’s about finding something that brings a person joy and doing it. It can be a physical activity like swimming, or it can be a relaxing activity like reading a book.
Prioritize it. For consistent self-care, it needs to be prioritized and oftentimes scheduled. IT might even mean writing it on the calendar or blocking out the time.
Do it regularly. This will also help the activity provide the needed self-care that your loved one deserves. It can be a small daily activity, a larger weekly activity, or a combination of several activities. For example, it can include sitting on the porch each morning, drinking a cup of coffee while watching the birds, as well as attending a weekly book club with friends.
Do it alone or with others. Again, whatever is best for your loved one will benefit him. Solitary walks in the woods can be just as beneficial as Friday night game night.
If life interrupts, start again as soon as possible. Life can sometimes interrupt a favorite self-care ritual, but remind your loved one to get back on track as soon as he can.
Home Care Services Can Help with Self-Care
If your loved one has a transportation need or needs some help with his self-care activities, a home care provider can assist and support him. Home care agencies can also help with those nagging household chores that want to pull your loved one away from his me-time.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Home Care Services in Butler County, PA, please contact the caring staff at Extended Family Care Pittsburgh today. Call 412-241-7292
Extended Family Care Pittsburgh is a Trusted Home Care Agency in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, serving Allegheny County, Beaver County, Butler County, Fayette County, Mercer County, Washington County, as well as the North Hills, South Hills, Fox Chapel, Monroeville, Murrysville, Oakland, Plum Boro, and Squirrel Hill areas.
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