Lung diseases, particularly the lung diseases that are progressive, can take a dramatic toll on your senior’s life. There’s not just the physical impact, though. There’s a lot that affects your senior both mentally and emotionally. There may be way more that she’s dealing with than just struggling to breathe easily.
She May Have a Range of Emotions
There’s a lot of emotion wrapped up in health and health issues. Your senior may very well experience a full range of emotions connected to the lung disease she’s facing. As a human being, she’s already dealing with feelings, but this might feel a little different to both of you. This is especially true in terms of the types of emotions she’s feeling and the intensity she’s experiencing. She may be angry a lot or she might be more fearful than she’s ever been. These are emotions she’s going to have to work through.
She Could Experience Depression or Anxiety
But it’s not just emotions. Your senior is also likely to be experiencing issues like anxiety or even depression. There are valid reasons for both. Your senior may experience panic or anxiety when she’s feeling short of breath. She may also be anxious about how her lung issues affect her overall health and well-being. It’s very likely she’s not able to do the things she’s used to doing, and that creates a loss in her life that can lead to depression. It’s important that she talks to her doctor about these concerns so that she can address them properly.
Loss of Independence Is a Huge and Sometimes Debilitating Issue
One of the reasons your senior could be experiencing depression involves losing some of her independence. It’s possible that she needs a lot more help than she expected she would need. There may also be tasks that used to be easy for her to handle on her own that are now a lot more difficult, if not impossible. Having help available to make those tasks easier is immensely important, so it may be time to look into home care and what it can do for your senior.
Her Self-esteem Can Take a Hit
All of this combined can mean that your elderly family member’s self-esteem takes a much bigger hit than you or she may expect. Many people find that their identity is wrapped up a bit in what they’re able to do and accomplish. When those achievements change a bit, it often starts to become a situation where your senior feels she’s not as important or as useful as she used to be.
Talk to your senior’s doctor about what else you can do to help your senior as a whole person, not just her medical concerns.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering home care in Brentwood, CA, please contact the caring staff at Provident Care Home Care today at (209) 578-1210.
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