Stress In The Elderly

Stress In The Elderly

America can be a very stressful place. Part of what has made America so great is the level of competitiveness within our society from grade school on up in to our professional working adult lives, which has led to great products and customer service. But has it become out of control? I won’t answer that in this discussion. I am going to focus on the opening statement on stress. From time to time we hear about stress control in our day to day lives, we hear about the need for proper rest and relaxation but it is primarily ignored or forgotten about or just plainly out of reach for most people because of the busy and competitive lifestyles we live. April is stress awareness month and so Genesis Home Care, LLC. wants to focus on the seriousness in the importance of stress management, and particularly stress in the elderly and how it impacts the lives of people as we age.

Stress comes in two forms: physical and emotional. Stress is familiar to all of us. It is something each of us wrestle with from childhood til we depart this earth. Some of us are able to manage stress through means of learned practice while others seem to have an innate ability to deal with stress, but for most of us stress is an unmanaged nightmare that rears its head and creates havoc on us until the issues behind it is worked out. But what does that do to us?

Well physical stresses are those things that effect the structural system on the body. Wounds, broken bones, illness, and the weather. Whereas emotional stress affects a physiological change in our body. Our bodies release hormones to deal and adapt to the sensory response. As we age, our bodies react differently to both types of stress- and unfortunately not for the better. Physical stress as we age will begin to take a longer time to heal for wounds, colds and illness put a harsher toll on the body and may take a longer time to get rid of. Weather or environmental changes are felt more severely- the body will take longer to heat up when cold and will work harder to adjust to hotter environments and cool down.

When we experience emotional stress the human body releases adrenaline and cortisol hormones. Both are defense mechanisms and survival tools designed to help us in times of danger and moments of required quick decision making. Commonly referred to as fight or flight hormones from the autonomic nervous system.

Emotional stress can be created by all types of life’s challenges, but as we get older we are more likely to be faced with stress and heavier-more pressing stress such as a drastic change in financial stability, career upheaval, serious illness, experiencing multiple deaths of friends and family members, the feeling of our own finiteness, loss of independence, loneliness etc. All of these left un-checked can lead into some form of mental illness.

This emotional type of stress can become chronic. Which would mean a constant supply or releasing of the cortisol and adrenaline hormones in your bloodstream. This can create a change in your digestion, glucose levels, elevate the risk of developing high blood pressure, cholesterol, decrease your immune system, and lead to chronic disease. It affects our musculoskeletal system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, endocrine system, gastrointestinal system, nervous system and the female/male reproductive systems (for more on each of these body systems click here). If that wasn’t enough we can even add effecting brain functioning. There have been studies relating high levels of stress on short term non dementia memory loss, read here and here. In terms of your immune system, chronic high stress can lead to adding years to your immune system. So, a person that has chronic stress in their life may in fact have an immune system 5-10 years older than their birth date.

It’s pointed out on the www.consumer.healthday.com website that over time a chronic stressful living situation can cause your body to lose its full ability to control the hormone release valve; i.e. turning on slower or turning off slower. According to a study published in the journal, Psycho-neuroendocrinology, women are especially susceptible to an overload of stress hormones as they age. The study found that the impact of age on cortisol levels is nearly three times stronger for women than for men. Here is the entire publication. The study found that the impact of age on cortisol levels is nearly three times stronger for women than for men. With that said African Americans suffer at disproportionate rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and prostrate issues for men. It is imperative that minority communities especially African American communities be very mindful at what is contributing to stress in their lives and how best to mitigate, and reduce it.

That is a lot of information on the negative realities of uncontrolled stress in our lives.

Unfortunately, there is no way to eliminate stress. So, how can we mitigate, and reduce stress? The human body is amazing. If you have read any of my previous blogs you will notice a theme, that is recognized by the American Medical Assoc., (AMA), the American Psychological Assoc., (APA) and other professional industries of preventive health assessment/maintenance for the improved chance of a healthy life. The same is recommended by these professionals for stress control: maintain a healthy diet; make exercise a routine in your life-(exercising doesn’t have to be a goal of completing a triathlon or iron man, but do some sort physical activity that increases heart rate, oxygenates your blood and lungs; get the appropriate amount of sleep which for an adult to an elderly adult is around 7-9 hours of sleep a night.

Some other great methods for managing stress in our lives are:

1. Maintain relationships – Human relationships are extremely valuable and a necessity to healthy human development and happiness. Holding on to long term relationships with friends and family should be a priority. If these relationships have expired establishing new relationships that foster positive social interaction will greatly help in stress reduction and mitigation.

2. Find a hobby – this can be used to give you and some friends something to do. A reason to move and get active and create a social space. It can also be used to assist in developing new friendships within your community.

3. Walking – walking is under rated in terms of its role in exercising and its ability to keep you active among your community. You can drive to a location and walk in a park and meet people, enjoy nature or walk along the beach and listen to the soothing collide of water’s rippling effect.

4. Meditation/prayer and gratitude – is not only a spiritual related form of introspection but it is a continued reflection of anything you set your mind on, just make sure you set your mind on forward thinking and positive thoughts. Practicing gratitude allows for you to examine what you have and be appreciative of it rather than looking at what you don’t have and being in a state of discontentment.

5. Breathing – breathing exercises allows for you to decompress, it delivers oxygenation into your system and can help calm your mind. During breathing exercises, you should inhale and exhale slowly (roughly about a 7 second count in both directions).

6. Exercise – As stated earlier, exercising doesn’t mean you are competing with world elite competitors. But, what you want to do is keep your body active. Keeping your body active is a great way to work off calories that you consume, it increases red blood cell delivery, and keeps your body from atrophy. Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise and develop a plan or routing that fits your current fitness level and capabilities.

7. Stretching/Yoga/Pilates/Tai Chi – All of these are great because they encapsulate everything above.

8. Pamper yourself- With our busy lives the majority of us never slow down. We are busy taking care of work life, family members, meeting deadlines etc., and forget to properly look out for ourselves. From time to time consider pampering yourself. A spa day provides excellent relief and escape from the day-to-day stresses. And don’t just think about a professional level spa day. Consider setting the proper mood in your home bathroom and taking a soothing bubble bath. There are great items that can be purchased for the home that can compete with five-star spa facilities.

I found this quote in a Huffington Post article:

“The greatest threat to our lives is our lifestyle,” Dr. Kathleen Hall, author, stress expert and founder of the Stress Institute and the Mindful Living Network, tells the Huffington Post. “If you slow down and get some relaxation techniques, it absolutely will effect your health outcome.”
We will always be rocked with surprises and events that elevate our stress levels, there is nothing that can be done about that. However, I hope you are now better equipped to combat stress and will not allow for it to become a chronic situation. There are some common themes that were outlined in this article, it is Genesis Home Care, LLC’s desire that they are easily implemented into your routine. Remember, managing stress is an important part of maintaining a healthy mind, body and soul/spirit.

Disclaimer: This article is intended as a friendly reminder with recommendations. It is not medical advice, direction or prescription of any sort. Please refer to professional services for any health-related questions, concerns and relief.