Is Your Senior Feeling Fearful After Experiencing a Heart Attack?
It is undeniable that suffering a heart attack can be an extremely frightening and overwhelming experience for your aging parent. As a family caregiver, it is important to recognize how this fear can impact your parent well after their recovery. While it is normal to experience fear and anxiety after suffering a heart attack, it is important to work through it so that your parent can move on to a healthier lifestyle. This starts with recognizing if your parent is experiencing this type of emotional response to the medical emergency.
Caregiver in Northbrook IL: Senior Fears After A Heart Attack
Some signs that your aging parent might be feeling fearful
after experiencing a heart attack include:
-Withdrawal from social engagement-
-Loss of interest in activities that they have always enjoyed-
-Not wanting to see family-
-Resisting leaving the home-
-Not wanting to participate in activities, particularly if they are physical-
-Sleeping more-
-Not taking care of the house properly because they do not want to get up or exert themselves-
-Avoiding eating anything but the most basic and plain foods-
Being fearful after your senior experiences a heart attack can have negative consequences for your aging parent. They might live a more sedentary lifestyle thinking that they will protect their heart that way but actually further weaken their heart, putting them at greater risk for another heart attack. If you think that your parent is experiencing excessive fear after a heart attack, get in touch with their doctor and work with them to help your parent cope with these feelings and move forward in a healthy way.
How can a professional caregiver help?
Being a family caregiver means that you will make a wide variety of important decisions for your elderly parent. One of the most beneficial may be to start home care for them. As a caregiver, you may feel as though you need to handle everything for your parent on your own. This, however, is not the case.
Relying on the professional, highly personalized services of a home care provider can be a fantastic way to support and boost the quality of life, health, and well-being of your aging parent throughout their later years. This care provider will not only help your parent to manage their physical needs in the ways that are right for them but will also provide companionship that can boost their mental and emotional health and well-being. This encourages your parent to stay healthy and active, but also motivated, independent, and fulfilled. As their family caregiver, this can provide tremendous peace of mind and ease your stress throughout the course of your care journey.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a caregiver in Northbrook, IL, call the caring staff at LifeCare In-Home Care and Home Health Services. Call (888) 606-4199 LifeCare serves all of the Chicago Metro Area.
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