As seniors age, they often lose a bit of their self-confidence. This could be due to losing loved ones or being unable to enjoy the same activities they used to when they were younger. For this reason, it’s important for caregivers to boost their senior loved ones’ self-esteem. Here are some simple and effective ways to do so.
Encourage Exercise
Many seniors are afraid to exercise. Encourage your loved one to start out slowly. Seniors who exercise on a regular basis are usually less likely to fall, as it builds flexibility. Exercising also naturally releases hormones in the body that make seniors happier. Therefore, they feel better about themselves.
Low self-esteem can result in mental, emotional, and physical challenges for aging adults, but seniors don’t have to manage them alone. Homecare agencies can be a great boon to seniors. With the help of the caregivers at Assisting Hands Home Care, your aging loved one can lead a happier and healthier life. Our caregivers encourage seniors to eat nutritious foods, exercise and socialize regularly, and focus on other lifestyle factors that increase life expectancy.
Set Small Goals
Seniors often have difficulty setting goals. Encourage your loved one to find something he or she wants to accomplish. Then break that goal down into smaller steps. As your loved one accomplishes each step, make sure to praise him or her.
Encourage Volunteer Work
Many seniors feel their lives no longer have a purpose. Encourage your loved one to find someone he or she can help. It can be a special project that fills a need in the life of a person your loved one knows. Alternatively, consider getting your loved one involved with the work of a nonprofit organization.
Promote Community Involvement
When seniors feel isolated, their self-esteem often plummets. Therefore, try to get your loved one involved in activities in the community. Your parent may enjoy activities at a local senior center. Alternatively, your loved one may want to join a book club or a hobby group for quilting or jewelry making.
Replace Negative Thinking
Whenever you sense your loved one is thinking negatively, stop what you’re doing and find out what he or she is thinking. Never assume you understand what your loved one is thinking without confirming it. Then find ways to help your loved one see the silver lining behind the dark cloud.
Seniors with low self-esteem may not be motivated to practice self-care and, as a result, develop serious illnesses that make it challenging to care for themselves without help. If your senior loved one needs around-the-clock assistance at home, the Columbus, OH, senior care professionals at Assisting Hands Home Care are here to help. Our caregivers promote longevity by encouraging seniors to focus on healthy eating, regular exercise, mental engagement, and other important lifestyle factors.
Talk about Your Loved One’s Fears
Some seniors have unrealistic fears that lower their self-esteem. Talk to your loved one about his or her concerns. Many seniors find it’s helpful when they can share their worries with other people. If there’s a problem, it’s much easier to solve when two people are working together to come up with solutions.
Spend Time with Your Parent
Make a point of spending time with your loved one. This can reassure your parent that he or she is a valuable member of the family and an important person in your life. Just as it’s essential to spend quality time with your spouse and children, it’s important to maintain a healthy relationship with your loved one by making time to spend together. The quality time you spend with your parent can provide a huge boost to his or her self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-respect.
Low self-esteem is one of many things that can contribute to decreased mental and physical health in seniors. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of at-home care. Columbus families can rely on Assisting Hands Home Care to provide individualized care plans to meet their elderly loved ones’ unique care needs, including specialized Dementia Care in Columbus. Our caregivers help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and we offer mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia. Call one of our friendly Care Managers today at 614-678-5887 to learn more about our customized care plans.
