Loneliness can creep in and affect people of every age. Essentially, it affects more than 40% of the older adult population, resulting in serious health problems if unmanaged. Therefore, people need to understand the warning signs of loneliness and the way to manage it if they suspect their parents or older loved ones are struggling with loneliness.
Senior Helpers Tulsa
Senior Helpers has multiple locations in Tulsa, Broken Arrow, and Sand Springs. It has professional caregivers who strive to eliminate loneliness by providing compassionate care to older people, improving their quality of life. In addition, it guarantees peace of mind for older people by providing them with all the care they might need to ensure they never get lonely.
Signs of Loneliness Among Seniors
Some of the signs of loneliness to watch out for among older adults include:
- Change in Appetite
Sometimes lack of appetite and change in eating habits is normal and can be part of the aging process. However, these changes might also signify loneliness among older adults aged 45 to 65. Therefore, pay attention when changes in appetite occur, considering the elderly might eat more or less when lonely.
- Restless Sleep
Older patients struggling with loneliness are likely to have disrupted sleep patterns. They get a short duration of quality sleep and often show insomnia symptoms such as feeling exhausted and finding it hard to sleep. Watch out for the adults who love spending much of the time in bed while not necessarily sleeping. It might also be a sign of loneliness.
- More Hot Baths
Physical warmth is often associated with comfort. It explains why the older population use warmth to substitute for social and emotional comfort. Find ways to help older loved ones if you notice they are comfortable taking hot baths and spend more time taking hot showers. It might be a sign of loneliness.
- Change in Frequency of Phone Calls
Please pay more attention to older people's phone call patterns since they tend to reach out more frequently to form new connections to deal with their loneliness. They might also make limited calls when they get used to or adapt to their lonely situation.
- Anger
Loneliness might present itself as anger, especially among older people who are too proud or embarrassed to say they are lonely. Older people are likely to get angry when left out during important decisions or feel unheard or misunderstood. Sometimes rage does not always manifest itself as loud and argumentative among the elderly. Instead, some might go quiet and isolate themselves when angry.
How Professional Caregivers Can Help
If you have a loved one suffering from the above loneliness symptoms, they need to consult with healthcare experts to prevent serious mental health problems. Consider Senior Helpers Tulsa as we have a companion and personal care programs where professional caregivers befriend and interact with older adults. They provide the support needed to ease geriatric patients' pressures and anxieties.
Contact us, Seniors Helpers, to eliminate loneliness among older persons.