Loss of social connection is a common complaint among the elderly. This lack of contact can lead to destructive mood disorders such as depression and may prevent the person from orienting to date and time, leading to confusion. Thankfully there are a couple of things you can do to help protect the emotional wellbeing of your loved ones.
Social Interaction
Isolation is a destructive experience for many seniors. As people age, access to friends and family may be limited by geography and time constraints. Many elderly find that they only see their friends at funerals. In addition, the aging brain has a limited capacity for new experiences and connections, so the pool of activities and social connections becomes more and more limited, leading to dangerous isolation. This can put the elderly at risk for depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. Many elderly are also at greater risk of abuse and fraud at the hands of friends and strangers alike.
Prevent Emotional Abuse
Whether the elderly person is in a nursing home or receiving care at home from family or professional assistance, emotional abuse is a risk. If a caregiver becomes frustrated with the behaviors or limitations of the elderly person, they may become abrupt, verbally abusive or unkind. If an elderly person is suffering emotional abuse, they may become anxious and upset. Emotional abuse can manifest in physical symptoms, such as weight loss or gain, loss of sleep, and fatigue.
It is critical that caregivers, whether professional or family, learn to step back when they feel themselves becoming upset. Make sure the elderly person is safe and protected from injury, then take a break. Family members in particular can become overburdened working in isolation to care for an elderly loved one, and the elderly relative may also be frustrated by their lack of ability to care for themselves. This can lead to verbal abuse from both directions. If the frustration of this verbal abuse turns physical, the person in need of care may be in danger.
Brain Protection
It was long assumed that the loss of brain plasticity was simply part of aging. However, recent studies involving learning a juggling activity indicate that learning can increase brain matter in elderly patients who are not suffering from dementia. This indicates that, with stimulation, the damage of loneliness can be reduced by new activities, learning new skills and interacting with their world in new ways.
Obviously, there is a difference between simply maintaining brain health and building new grey matter. The elderly person must be willing to try new things and engage in activities they’ve never done before. Oftentimes, this means the caregiver must also be willing to join in the fun, building a stronger relationship and reducing the risk of isolation and abuse.
Limited social contact can be destructive to the health of elderly people. As a caregiver, it’s important for you support to help them be at their best when providing social, physical, and possibly mental support to an aging loved one. This could greatly improve their quality of life.
Life insurance is also an important thing to consider for your elderly loved ones. Take a look at our options!
