Post by troyhather on Apr 19, 2018 22:03:33 GMT
Fear and Loss
As people age, they tend to feel a loss of control over many things, namely their independence. Our bodies weaken and affect our physical abilities. Chronic pain may be a new reality. Some lose the ability to walk without the assistance of another person or a mobility aid. Incontinence may now be an embarrassing issue. Feeling ill and unlike oneself is draining for a person at any age, but it is especially frustrating when there is little that can be done to remedy the situation. Realizing their lives are forever changed, many seniors lash out at the people around them.
As a less-than-healthy coping mechanism, our elders may begin exercising the only control they have left: micromanaging everything (and everyone) in their immediate environment. They often target the one person they believe (or hope) won’t leave them: you, their caregiver. Understanding their specific feelings of loss and fears regarding the future will help you cope with this behavior and devise ways to empower and reassure them.
As people age, they tend to feel a loss of control over many things, namely their independence. Our bodies weaken and affect our physical abilities. Chronic pain may be a new reality. Some lose the ability to walk without the assistance of another person or a mobility aid. Incontinence may now be an embarrassing issue. Feeling ill and unlike oneself is draining for a person at any age, but it is especially frustrating when there is little that can be done to remedy the situation. Realizing their lives are forever changed, many seniors lash out at the people around them.
As a less-than-healthy coping mechanism, our elders may begin exercising the only control they have left: micromanaging everything (and everyone) in their immediate environment. They often target the one person they believe (or hope) won’t leave them: you, their caregiver. Understanding their specific feelings of loss and fears regarding the future will help you cope with this behavior and devise ways to empower and reassure them.