Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.
Q. My mom had a fall recently and broke her arm. It sounds like a fairly innocent incident, but since then she has never been the same. She went through physical therapy and healed well but now, she has anxiety and battles depression. Her anxiety keeps her from engaging in life with joy. She is aware of this struggle, and my father and I are at a loss as to how to help her. How can we be a positive source to her?
A. When someone experiences a fall, it might not only affect their physical state of well-being, but their mental state of being. It is hard to make sense of the connection, but it happens nonetheless. Your mom’s anxiety is real and must be treated. If you haven’t already spoken to her doctor about her anxiety and depression, I recommend that you consult him/her for direction. Her doctor will ask many questions and may even prescribe medication to help with the symptoms she is experiencing. Her doctor may run a series of tests to make sure nothing physical is the source of her anxiety. Once the physical tests are evaluated, the emotional aspects can be tackled. Don’t be surprised if her doctor refers her to a professional that deals with anxiety. This can include talking with a counselor or meeting with a psychiatrist to prescribe proper medication to help her through this.
Remember, there can be many causes for anxiety, and sometimes this inexplicably occurs in the elderly. Moving through this situation in your mother’s life will require open communication with those who care about her as well as her professional care team. The good news is that there are many avenues for treatment. If your mom is willing, she may benefit from exercise, art therapy or music therapy. Diet and nutrition also plays a big part in brain health. Ask her doctor about these avenues. If he doesn’t know about these types of alternative treatments, feel free to reach out to Senior Services in your area or even the chaplain at your local hospital. They have a wealth of information at their fingertips. Don’t forget to take care of yourself as you try to give your mom the encouragement she needs. This will give you the energy to be positive when you see she is having a challenging time with life.
Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.
