Natural Remedies That Could Help Your Elderly Loved One

Are you helping to provide care for your anxious elderly loved one? If so, it is important to know there are medications that could help with easing anxiety. However, many of those medications cause mild to severe side effects. The good news is that there are some natural options that could help to ease your elderly loved one’s anxiety.

Chamomile Tea

Research shows that chamomile tea could help to ease anxiety. This type of tea has natural chemicals that can help someone to relax. While your elderly loved one might have to drink 1 cup of chamomile tea every day for weeks before they reap the full effects, it is still something that could be tried. If your elderly loved one likes tea, this is one that tastes really good for most people.

Using Lavender

There are numerous benefits of lavender and easing anxiety is one of them. Research shows that breathing in lavender essential oils can help someone to be less anxious and more energized. In addition, this type of oil (when breathing it in) can help to reduce systolic pressure that often rises due to stress and anxiety. You or a home care provider can put a couple of drops of this type of essential oil on your loved one’s pillow. If they breathe it in while sleeping, it could help them to wake up in a better mood.

Going Outside

Research also shows that going outside, for even 15 minutes every day, can help to relieve anxiety and depression. If your elderly loved one doesn’t want to go outside on their own, maybe you or their home care provider could walk with them. There are studies that show those who go on a 20-minute walk can reduce the levels of their stress hormones significantly.

Eating the Right Food

There are some foods that are known for reducing stress and anxiety. Some of the best foods for this purpose include peaches, blueberries, whole grains, oats, eggs, avocados, milk, and meat. Every once in a while, it is even a good idea for your elderly loved one to eat dark chocolate, as in moderation, that can help to reduce cortisol (stress) levels.

These are some of the natural remedies that could help your elderly loved one to reduce their anxiety. While some of these could provide your loved one with almost immediate relief, others are going to take more time. Your elderly loved one will have to try these recommendations to see which ones work the best for reducing their anxiety. When they find something that works, they can stick to using those options when they are feeling anxious. It is also important to note that some of these can even work to prevent anxiety, as well.

Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2959081/