While meditation comes in many forms, there are a few elements that are standard. Whether it’s transcendental meditation or mindfulness meditation, the practice involves deep breathing, clarity of mind, and an increased awareness of the present moment. Irrespective of age, meditation can have a positive impact on an older adult’s overall wellbeing. Seniors can benefit from the relaxing, stress-reducing practice of meditation in the following ways.
Boosts Cognitive Health
Regular meditation enhances short- and long-term memory, and it can forestall the impact of Alzheimer’s. Meditation can also enhance information processing, attentiveness, and executive function skills. These benefits may be due to the impact meditation has on the brain’s primary memory storage areas, including the frontal brain lobe and the hippocampus. These brain regions are stimulated during meditation, which increases the brain’s ability to retain old information and take in new information.
Aging adults who need a boost in their cognitive health can benefit greatly from spending time with at-home caregivers. If your senior loved one needs help managing an illness or assistance with daily tasks, make sure you choose a top-rated provider of elder care. Assisting Hands Home Care Fort Lauderdale is here to help your loved one live a happier and healthier life in the golden years.
Reduces Stress Levels
Many seniors live with anxiety and overstimulated nerves. They’re often managing legitimate sources of stress like social isolation or chronic pain. While meditation may not be able to cure a chronic condition, it can lower stress levels. When aging adults meditate regularly, it clears their minds. After a few weeks of meditation, many seniors are able to overcome anxious thoughts with deep breathing, mindfulness, and newfound mental clarity.
Promotes Healthy Digestion
Meditation impacts emotional and mental wellbeing and has positive effects on the body. Devoting 10 minutes every day to meditation can enhance circulatory health. Blood oxygen enrichment is optimized, which impacts the immune system and digestion. Seniors who live with digestive issues like constipation and IBS may find relief through regular meditation.
Enhances Mood
Meditation stimulates the prefrontal cortex, which boosts emotional wellbeing and leads to positive emotions. Seniors with depression, loneliness, or anxiety should give the brain-strengthening powers of meditation a try.
Having regular companionship is another way to boost mood in older adults. In Fort Lauderdale, in-home care 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.
Encourages Better Sleep
For many seniors, sleep doesn’t come easily. They have difficulty falling asleep at night, and when they finally drift off into slumber, they wake up repeatedly. Inadequate sleep has a significant impact on health, and meditation can help sleep-deprived seniors regulate their sleep schedules.
Meditation stimulates the area of the brain that produces the hormone melatonin, which regulates the body’s sleep cycle. If melatonin production is disrupted, it can be difficult to achieve deep, restorative sleep. Practicing regular meditation can boost melatonin levels, leading to higher-quality sleep.
Seniors aren’t the only ones who can benefit from meditation. Family caregivers need to care for their own wellbeing. If you’re caring for an aging loved one and are feeling overwhelmed, consider hiring a professional caregiver to provide respite care. Fort Lauderdale families who want to prevent burnout can turn to Assisting Hands Home Care. One of our professional caregivers can assist your loved one at home while you take a nap, go to work, run errands, or go on vacation. Schedule a free in-home consultation by giving us a call today.
