How to Emotionally Support Your Senior When He’s Feeling Down

If you care for a senior loved one, you spend a considerable amount of time trying to meet the physical issues that often arise as we grow older. You implement steps to mitigate pain, ensure consuming food and beverages that deliver sufficient vitamins and minerals, and drive to different healthcare providers to address a wide variety of physical ailments. Although taking care of your senior loved one’s physical health is important, you should devote as much time and money to considering the emotional toll aging takes.

We fulfill emotional needs at every stage of our lives. As we grow older, our emotional needs change and the strategies used to meet those needs change as well. The key is to know how to support your senior loved one emotionally. You also should be able to identify the emotional needs of your senior loved one. A few of the most common emotional needs that senior loved ones need to meet include social interactions, developing meaningful relationships, and understanding what it takes to find a sense of belonging.

At our senior living facility in Phoenix, Arizona, our caregivers recommend four ways to support your senior when he’s feeling down.

Listen

When your senior loved one discusses feeling down, your role is to listen and understand what is said. You should not follow up with an immediate response, but instead, you listen to let your senior loved one know that what she said carries enough significance to warrant a little time of contemplation. When your senior loved one knows you have listened, you should be able to develop a stronger connection that provides emotional support.

Respect

Unless your senior loved one needs memory care in Phoenix, he is capable of expressing ideas that advocate a point of view. The last thing your senior loved one wants is to be treated like a child, which unfortunately, far too many family members do when they interact with an older adult. Your senior loved one wants to be in control of her life, which means you need to respect what he wants to do in terms of choosing an assisted living lifestyle.

Make Safety and Security a Priority

Safety and security represent two of the most important emotional needs for a senior. If your loved one does not feel safe and secure, she might not be able to generate the energy to have other emotional needs met. One of the most common reasons why seniors want to live in a facility with other seniors concerns the issues of safety and security. MorningStar at Arcadia installs safety and security measures such as advanced security systems and emergency call buttons to give residents peace of mind.

Participate in Activities

Assisted living facilities offer a wide variety of activities to keep residents engaged, as well as foster social interactions. The activities planned at our memory care community in Phoenix are not just for residents. To support your senior loved one emotionally, stop by our facility to join your senior loved one in an activity or two. We offer regularly scheduled activities such as yoga and tai chi, as well as special events like bus tours that take residents to area cultural and historical landmarks.

Professional caregivers represent the front line of defense to prevent the development of emotional issues such as fear and anxiety. Loved ones are the second line of defense, which means you should focus on ways to help your senior loved one feel valued, understood, and appreciated. At our assisted living community in Phoenix, AZ, we follow the mission of “to honor, to value, to invest” in our seniors. Learn more by contacting a resident care representative at MorningStar at Arcadia.