What are effective ways to manage the health of aging parents?
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Effective Ways to Manage the Health of Aging Parents
Managing Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD)
Caring for aging parents, especially those with dementia, presents unique challenges. Research highlights several strategies that caregivers employ to manage the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). These strategies include "setting the record straight," "going along with it," distracting and redirecting, ignoring, telling "fiblets" or lies, medicating to alleviate symptoms, and altering the physical environment. Among these, the most frequently co-occurring strategies are telling "fiblets" and distracting and redirecting. These approaches can help mitigate the stress and improve the quality of life for both caregivers and their parents.
Coping Strategies for Caregiver Burden
For aging parents of adult children with developmental disabilities, effective coping strategies are crucial. Research indicates that accommodative strategies, which involve adapting to stress, can buffer the impact of caregiver burden. In contrast, disengagement and distraction strategies tend to exacerbate the effects of burden on depression symptoms. Active strategies to reduce stress, known as primary engagement, are particularly effective for parents with co-resident children. These findings suggest that engagement coping strategies can enhance resilience among caregivers.
Personal Health Planning for Former Caregivers
Former caregivers of parents with dementia often develop specific health planning outlooks based on their caregiving experiences. Those who feel capable of engaging in health planning activities tend to adopt an agentic outlook, which includes engaging in a healthy lifestyle, initiating cognitive/genetic testing, and ensuring financial and legal security. Conversely, caregivers who face barriers such as low self-efficacy or lack of social support may develop anxiety-inducing or present-focused outlooks, leading to pessimistic views on healthy aging. Interventions aimed at supporting these former caregivers can help them adopt more positive health planning activities.
Managing Worries and Health Behaviors
Midlife adults often juggle concerns about both their aging parents and their adult children. These worries can negatively impact their health, leading to poor sleep quality and unhealthy behaviors like emotional eating. Research shows that on days when midlife adults worry about their adult children, they experience more negative emotions and are more likely to engage in comfort eating the following day. Addressing these worries through stress management techniques can improve overall well-being.
Psychological Health and Support from Grown Children
In China, older parents who provide childcare for their grandchildren experience both positive and negative effects on their psychological health. Factors such as being male, being literate, and expecting long-term care from their grown children are significantly associated with better psychological health. Recognizing and appreciating the contributions of older parents, while providing necessary economic and emotional support, can help maintain their psychological well-being.
Daily Support Exchanges and Mood
Aging parents often provide and receive various forms of support from their adult children, especially those facing life problems. Research indicates that parents are more likely to provide emotional and practical support to children with problems and receive emotional support and advice in return. Interestingly, providing practical support to children with problems can alleviate parents' distress. This reciprocal support system can enhance the emotional well-being of aging parents.
Social Networks and Well-Being
The well-being and mental health of older adults are closely linked to their social networks. Non-residential children play a crucial role in providing social support, which positively correlates with the well-being of older parents. Encouraging strong social ties and maintaining active social networks can significantly improve the mental health of aging parents.
Conclusion
Effectively managing the health of aging parents involves a multifaceted approach that includes addressing behavioral symptoms of dementia, employing effective coping strategies, engaging in personal health planning, managing worries, and leveraging social support networks. By adopting these strategies, caregivers can enhance the quality of life for their aging parents and themselves.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic
CARING FOR A VERY OLD PARENT WITH DEMENTIA: STRATEGIES EMPLOYED TO MANAGE BEHAVIORAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS
Coping and psychological health of aging parents of adult children with developmental disabilities.
Personal Health Planning in Adult-Child Former Caregivers of Parents Living With Dementia.
The Costs of Concern: Health Implications of Worries about Aging Parents and Adult Children
Randomised controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of 'Families for Health', a family-based childhood obesity treatment intervention delivered in a community setting for ages 6 to 11 years.
Factors Associated with the Psychological Health of Caregiving Older Parents and Support from Their Grown Children: Results from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study
Aging Parents’ Daily Support Exchanges With Adult Children Suffering Problems
Marriage, parenthood and social network: Subjective well-being and mental health in old age
DOES CORESIDENCE IMPROVE AN ELDERLY PARENT'S HEALTH?
Emotional support from parents early in life, aging, and health.
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