It is a little-known fact that human beings become more emotionally sensitive as they age. This can be attributed to changes in physiological functioning and the social lives of aging people. Human beings of all ages feel the need to be embedded in social groups. For the elderly, however, there are fewer opportunities for this particular goal to be realized, as they may have to contend with physiological limitations which prevent them from traveling as easily as they used to. Also, older adults have to contend with the illness and death of friends and spouses at a time when their emotional needs are even more acute than they were at younger ages.
Stress-induced immune dysfunction describes a medical condition in which events in an individual’s life or circumstances exceed their coping abilities. Characteristics of this condition include mood swings, anxiety, and other negative emotional patterns.
Dealing with Negative Emotions in Seniors
The negative emotions that accompany these changes can cause immune dysregulation. Even in healthy elderly people, the stress-related immune imbalance can pose serious physical health risks. Carers have just recently begun to highlight the role that changing life events have in the creation of stress in the elderly; these might include retirement, moving into a caregiving facility, medical issues or the death of a spouse. In addition, there has been an increased emphasis on the use of stress management techniques in helping the elderly to cope with these life changes. Today, it is quite common for carers to be provided with assertiveness training so that they can cope with mental challenges in their clients.
The Causes of Stress-Related Vulnerability
In the first place, stress-related vulnerability has been known to cause the elderly to become less social, and instead focus on following routines that are fixated on specific routines. Such behavior is typically accompanied by wishful thinking, selective ignoring, resignation, or escapism. To break their clients’ fixed routines which have negative mental outcomes, carers have to be assertive in order to build their clients’ emotional health.
Ways of Relieving Stress in Seniors
To relieve stress in their clients, carers often use mind-body interventions like meditation, biofeedback, relaxation, imagery, and cognitive-behavioral therapies. Such methods have also been found to be helpful in the management of medical conditions such as arthritis, low back pain, coronary artery disease, and insomnia.
When carers practice the type of interactive caregiving that makes it possible for their clients to retain their independence, the latter will have a higher quality of life. This, in turn, will prevent the development of stress-related symptoms which are attributed to emotional health.
