Caregiver Issues: Reducing Alzheimer’s Risk by Controlling Stress
Caregiver in Winchester City VA
As a family caregiver you are likely no stranger to stress. In fact, family caregivers are far more likely to experience high levels of stress and the various mental, emotional, and physical consequences that can occur because of this stress than adults who are of the same age but do not have care responsibilities. While you know that stress can lead to a variety of issues such as 
depression, anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, digestive issues, and a sense of hopelessness, you may not realize that stress can also dramatically increase your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
A recent study published in “Neurology” involved 800 women with an average age of 46 years over the course of 40 years. Over the study period the women took personality tests and neurological exams to evaluate various characteristics, including anxiety levels, self-esteem, guilt, anger, and jealousy. The findings were that those women who rated high on the introversion and neuroticism levels, both indications of high stress, were at nearly twice the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A 2013 study further confirmed these findings, showing that women who had encountered serious stressful experience during their midlife years were far more likely to develop dementia in their elderly years than those who did not experience this stress.
Protecting yourself and your own wellbeing throughout the course of your caregiver journey with your aging parents is just as important as the efforts that you make to protect them, which means that you need to adopt a lifestyle that will reduce your stress and help you to manage it more effectively so that you can guard your health now and reduce your chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia later.
Try these tips for reducing your stress and protecting your mental and emotional health throughout your care journey with your seniors:
• Know your limits. Be honest with yourself about how much of your parents’ care needs you can handle on your own and when you may need to call in help. Confronting these limitations at the beginning of your relationship can help you to reduce the potential for stress, anxiety, and worry throughout your journey.
• Ask for help. Feeling like you are the only one who is doing anything to help your parents can quickly lead to feelings of jealousy, stress, worry, and a sense of being overwhelmed. Rather than letting yourself get to this point and then asking for help, hire a home care provider or arrange for help from siblings or other family members from the beginning.
• Take time for yourself. Remember that just because you are a caregiver does not mean that you need to be “on call” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Be sure to take time out to take care of yourself, enjoy your favorite activities, and spend time with your partner, children, and friends. This helps to not only keep stress levels down, but to ease it if it does arise.
• Do your best. One of the leading causes of stress among caregivers is worries about whether the seniors are healthy and happy. Do your best to fulfill all of your parents’ needs, reduce their stress, and keep them feeling healthy and happy so that you can feel confident you have done everything possible to give them the life they deserve.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring a professional caregiver in Winchester City, VA, please contact the caring staff at LivinRite Home Care. Call Us Today at (703) 369-6677. Serving Northern Virginia, The Valley, and Surrounding Communities
http://blog.aarp.org/2014/10/01/mid-life-neuroticism-stress-increases-alzheimers-disease-risk/
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