Elder Care

LIVING is a lifelong journey. There are many things to experience later in life; some of which are filled with joy and adventure and some of which are more challenging. Sounds like life for any of us, right?

Elder Care Honors Your Unique Perspective

As people approach and go through their older years, they develop a unique perspective on:

• their lives, both past and present
• changing priorities
• their faith or spirituality
• different sense of importance and changing sense of their role in society
• a meaning of time and their continued health to finally pursue lifelong dreams

At the same time, they have these opportunities, they can also experience unique losses as they;

• lose people dear to them
• have less energy or maybe even desire to participate in things they used to enjoy
• cope with a loss of mobility and independence previously enjoyed

Counseling for our elders and their families is specialized care that is focused on meeting the needs of our older members at various stages of life. It is important to work with a therapist who is experienced and knowledgeable about how to best address their unique needs. Our specialists also offer assistance to those who love and care for our elder members, understanding the unique demands on caregivers and changing family dynamics.

• Conduct specialized elder-focused mental health assessments
• Help elders explore changing life perspectives and priorities
• Address changing cognitive abilities and provide skills to manage these in daily living
• Help process the impact of aging:
  • frequently increasing number of physical maladies and medications
  • changing physical abilities that may not match how one feels inside
  • changing perspectives as one loses people dear to them and nears the end of life

• Navigate the unique shifting family dynamics as roles change and demands for parent care increase
• Successfully address questions and decision making around wills, finances, health directives, power of attorney, and more
• Maintain healthy boundaries and balance in their lives to avoid caregiver burnout
• Heal family relationships that were disrupted earlier in life due to trauma, addiction, family secrets, etc.

Elder Care Counseling at Bluestone Psychological Services

Our professionals at Bluestone Psychological Services can help you navigate your experience as you age or help you better understand what is going on with your aging parent so positive relationships can be nurtured or maintained. You don’t have to go through this time of your life alone.

It can be an honor to walk with a loved one through their final years – sharing memories, hearing new stories, and growing personally. These are the best of circumstances.

When the aging loved one is also having changes in their memory, mobility, and personality, challenges for both the loved one and the caregiver multiply. It is important for caregivers to be honest about the full range of their experience so they can get support and avoid some of the consequences of burnout.

• Having an aging parent home to live with you can diminish your sense of sanctuary in your own home. This can lead to feelings of resentment, which can then lead to feeling guilty or depressed.
• Telling a loved one that they must stop driving can cause a discord that is difficult to get through. The tension during such times can cause arguments, frustration, and anxiety.
• Cognitive decline and changes in their mental health may cause a loved one to be more irritable, reactive and direct frustrations toward you. Such interactions may leave you feeling hurt and confused, especially when the outbursts are intermittent and unlike the person you once knew. This can lead to feelings of grief and loss.

• Increased irritability and exhaustion
• Emotional distress: guilt and resentment, sense of helplessness and despair, and depression and anxiety
• Increased illness
• Decreased restorative sleep
• Loss of own healthy self-care: time with other friends and family, good exercise and eating habits, absence of hobbies or enjoyment of things used to enjoy