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What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Senior Care in Pacific Beach CA

Senior Care in Pacific Beach CA

Senior Care in Pacific  Beach CA Everyone encounters challenging and difficult events and experiences in their lives. For some, however, these events are truly traumatic and their effects can linger for many months or even years after they occur. When this trauma happens and the mind is not able to move on from it, it is referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and it can make a serious negative impact on quality of life. As a family caregiver, if your aging parent is suffering from PTSD, it is critical that you not only are able to recognize, but that you can encourage them to get the care and assistance that they need to move forward.

Post-traumatic stress disorder can occur as a response to a wide variety of events or experiences. Some common causes of PTSD are military combat, witnessing a terror event, experiencing a severe natural disaster, car accidents, fires, and personal assaults. Women have more than twice the risk of developing PTSD as men do, and it can and does occur in all ages. Though anyone can develop this condition as a response to a traumatizing event, those who are already suffering from depression, anxiety, or heavily use alcohol or other substances are particularly prone to the effects.

More than 7 and a half million people over the age of 18 throughout the United States are currently suffering from PTSD. This includes approximately 67 percent of those who witness or were involved in an event of mass violence. This type of event contributes to more cases of PTSD than other types of traumatic events, including natural disasters. If your elderly loved one has experienced other forms of trauma, particularly ones that are similar, such as repeated military combat or several natural disasters, they are more likely to develop PTSD and more prone to experiencing serious consequences as a result of it.

Fortunately there are ways that you can help your senior to cope with their post-traumatic stress disorder and live a high quality of life as they age in place. If you suspect that your parent is suffering from PTSD or they have been diagnosed with the condition and are not coping well, do not hesitate to get in touch with their doctor and work with them to find a course of management and treatment that is right for your senior.

If your aging parent is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, they need as much support, encouragement, and care as they can get. Senior care can be the source of additional care that helps your elderly loved one face the emotional challenges of each day and still get through them while also addressing their other needs, challenges, and limitations. This means that they can help them to remain safe, comfortable, and healthy, and also support improved autonomy, activity, and fulfillment as they age in place. The highly personalized services of an in-home senior care services provider are designed to help your individual parent achieve and maintain the lifestyle that they desire and deserve. This care provider can work with your loved one to create a beneficial and meaningful care routine that they can modify as needed if the needs of their PTST warrant. This can include modifying tasks to help them manage what they can on their own and remove trigger activities from their daily routine, providing companionship and emotional support, and offering reminders for them to take any medication or follow through with any guidelines set forth by their doctor.

La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Costa, CA, and the surrounding communities."}” data-sheets-userformat=”{"2":767,"3":{"1":0},"4":{"1":2,"2":10667209},"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"9":2,"10":2,"12":0}”>For more information about how the caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in Pacific Beach, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Sources:

https://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/basics/definition/con-20022540

Brittnei Salerno

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