Home Care – Understanding Gratitude and Appreciation
As your senior gets older, it can be frustrating for both you and your loved one who is older. It is normal to have fears about the final stage of life, and it is normal to fear losing your elderly mom or dad. This negativity, anger, and fear can lead to confusion and loss of gratitude and appreciation. Both you and your senior need to learn how to stay grounded and appreciate the small things while also practicing gratitude; this will help them age happily. There are benefits to gratitude and appreciation; here is what you need to know about it.
Why Gratitude Is Beneficial
If you don’t know much about gratitude, it can seem silly to start practicing. Many people believe that gratitude is a positive thing to practice. It can help a senior who is living with dementia or some other chronic condition.
Gratitude can improve mental well-being and overall physical health too. Your entire body is connected, and treating one part of yourself unkindly will impact your whole body. So when you decide to change your mindset, it can have a ripple effect that positively changes your entire life, no matter your age.
When you admire and are grateful for your loved one, even if they struggle with dementia, it can be conveyed in the way you act towards them and treat your loved one. This may help reduce the agitation or stress they feel towards you. A senior’s surroundings are important, so you should practice gratitude and appreciation. It can help make the end of life happier than you thought possible. Here are some ideas for both you and your loved one to practice gratitude.
Start a Daily Journal
One of the best pieces of advice given is telling people to start a journal but for a good reason. This is one of the best ways to sit and reflect on what is going on in your life. This is good for home care to start practicing since their mental health matters too, but it is also beneficial for a senior struggling with positivity. It can be filled with their most precious memories of childhood, things they want to remember, or people they admire and are grateful for. Reading back on these journal entries can help them shift any negative feelings about someone and look at things or people more positively. They will remember why they love and admire someone, which can help make it easier to care for them.
Start Praying or Reflecting On Energy
Some seniors are religious, and others aren’t. Depending on your senior, they may want to start praying or reflecting on their own energies. When they start praying, it opens their heart to the things that bother them, and they can unload any negative feelings to the universe or whatever they believe in. If they are sitting to reflect on energy, they can sit in silence, figure out what is draining them, put them in a negative mindset, and then fix it.
Express Yourself
There are more than a few ways to express yourself. A senior can practice art or listen to music that will help them reflect and let go of negative energy. This can be something they practice every day or even once a week.
If you or someone you know needs help with home care in Lowell, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
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