Advantages of Meditation for Seniors

Meditating can greatly enhance an older adult’s mental and physical wellbeing. Practicing meditation is also a safe and effective tool seniors can use to help them relax and lessen muscle tension. Here are a few ways your senior loved one may benefit from meditating. 

Alleviates Stress

Aging adults can experience long-term stress for many reasons, including the loss of a loved one, a chronic illness, or disability. Meditating can greatly reduce stress or anxiety as well as have a calming effect. Alleviating stress can help your loved one better organize his or her thoughts and gain a more positive perspective. 

Builds Connections

Meditation is one of the best activities for you and your loved one to do together. Taking only a few minutes out of the day to sit down and meditate can give you both the perfect chance to connect and heighten your bond with each other. 

Not all family caregivers are available to help their loved ones with meditation and other healthy activities. Families who find it difficult to care for their aging loved ones without assistance can benefit greatly from professional respite care. Dallas, TX, family caregivers who need a break from their caregiving duties can turn to Home Care Assistance. Using our proprietary Balanced Care Method, our respite caregivers can encourage your loved one to eat well, exercise regularly, get plenty of mental and social stimulation, and focus on other lifestyle factors that promote longevity.

Reduces Depression

Older adults often experience feelings of sadness and loneliness for many reasons, such as unsettling life changes or lack of self-confidence, which can naturally bring about negative feelings. Meditating provides seniors the chance to rid their minds of negative energy, enhance their mood, and concentrate on the things that enrich their lives. 

Stimulates Memory

Meditating can sharpen a senior’s mind, enhancing the ability to store old and new memories, consolidate new information, and memorize things. 

Boosts Brainpower

Dr. Ravi Prakash, an internationally acclaimed psychiatrist and neurologist, and researchers at the Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences conducted a study that suggests meditating can prevent cognitive loss related to old age. The participants in the study were 55 and older and divided into two groups: those who regularly meditated and those who didn’t. The aging adults who were longtime meditators fared much better on cognitive tests than those who didn’t practice meditation. 

Enhances Heart Health

Practicing meditation can help aging adults ward off heart disease while boosting their overall health. The breathing techniques they learn while doing meditation can be helpful in slowing down their heart rate and the pace of their breathing, which increases the volume of blood flow to the heart and helps prevent clogged arteries and other issues that can raise the chances of having a heart attack or stroke. 

Seniors can face a variety of challenges as they age, many of which can be mitigated with the help of professional in-home caregivers who provide high-quality elderly home care. Dallas families trust Home Care Assistance to help their elderly loved ones age in place safely and comfortably.

Lessens Physical Pain

When aging adults with chronic pain or illnesses relax their minds and bodies through meditation, they may find their pain lessening. They also learn the techniques necessary to work with their pain instead of against it. The longer your loved one meditates, the more likely he or she will reduce the intensity of the pain. 

Meditation is one of the many ways your loved one can boost his or her overall health. If your elderly loved one needs help maintaining a high quality of life while aging in place, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a trusted provider of Dallas senior care. Our caregivers provide transportation to and from medical appointments and social events, nutritious meal preparation, assistance with daily exercise, and help with everyday tasks like bathing, grooming, and light housekeeping. To hire a professionally trained caregiver for your loved one, call us at [hca_phone] today.