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Unit 9 Assignment: Final Project

Armstrong, Leigh

Purdue University Global

HW410 Stress-Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Professor Kristin Henningsen

December 20, 2022

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Unit 9 Assignment: Final Project

Seniors in the United States face a plethora of stressors that often go unaddressed. Daily

life can be so fast paced that sometimes family members forget to prioritize the seniors in their

lives. Even worse, some seniors do not have any living family members to check on them.

Seniors have given so much to their families and communities over the decades and are a wealth

of knowledge. All aspects of their health should be fully cared for which includes their stress

levels. It is often forgotten that stress can cause such symptoms as pain, headaches, digestive

issues, high blood pressure, and weakened immune system (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).

Additionally, stress can increase anxiety and panic attacks as well as rates of depression. Since

the senior population is already at an increased risk for most of these symptoms, special attention

should be given to help prevent and manage their stress.

Explained Stressors

One of the biggest stressors facing seniors is loneliness. After a lifetime of working,

raising children, and being active in their communities, many now live alone or in senior living

facilities and receive very few visitors. The lack of personal interaction compared to what they

used to have can lead to depression.

As people age, the likelihood a spouse or adult child passing away increases. The loss of

a loved one is another huge stressor for seniors that can lead to feelings of loneliness or

depression (Godman, 2017). This loss can further cement the idea that the senior will be alone

forever with no one to spend quality time with. That can be overwhelming for anyone but

especially for those whose health is declining and may need to depend on others.

Declining cognitive and functional abilities is a stressor for many seniors as they age

(Lavretsky & Newhouse, 2012). This causes concern for some about their ability to physically
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care for themselves and make the best decisions about things in their life including healthcare

and finances. The idea that a person may one day not be able to make sound decisions or take

care of personal daily tasks such ridding waste and bathing can cause extreme embarrassment

and anxiety.

Loss of independence is another stressor facing seniors today (Amada Senior Care,

2020). This includes not only the possibility of them having to leave their home to live in a

senior assisted living facility but also the increased dependence on others to help them complete

daily tasks that they were previously able to complete on their own. The feeling of uncertainty in

this situation can cause anxiety for seniors.

When a senior loses their independence, physical abilities, or mental clarity, they can start

to wonder what their purpose is (Amada Senior Care, 2020). No longer having a job or people

who depend on them can leave seniors with more spare time than they are use to and a lessened

sense of purpose. This leaves them more susceptible to stress and its many symptoms.

As physical and visual impairments take effect, some seniors will become unable to drive

(Amada Senior Care, 2020). This not only affects their sense of independence and ability to care

for themselves without assistance but also increases the amount of money that will need to be

spent on transportations costs for everything from grocery shopping to medical appointments and

the need to complete these tasks in coordination with someone else’s schedule.

With age often comes an increase of chronic health issues which can be further

compromised by a weakened immune system (Lavretsky & Newhouse, 2012). The constant

concern of health issues and their symptoms can be overwhelming for some, especially if they

don’t have anyone in their life to help share the burden or are themselves a caregiver for
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someone else. This stress of managing these conditions can cause anxiety and possibly

depression.

More than one fourth of Americans aged 65 and older fall each year (The National

Council on Aging, 2022). Falls are the leading cause of injury and death within this age group.

This is a big stressor for seniors, especially for those living alone since 70% of these falls occur

in the home. Not only is there a fear of injury with no one present to help, but the additional

medical bills and care needed for recovery can be overwhelming.

While managing other stressors associated with aging, some seniors are also caregivers

themselves (Godman, 2017). This could be for an elderly or disabled family member or

sometimes even a child. This additional responsibility creates additional physical, emotional, and

financial burdens for the caregiver. That added stress can lead senior caregivers to feel

overwhelmed and anxious.

There are many changes in this stage of life that affect seniors’ finances. Additional costs

associated with an increased number of medical appointments, assisted living fees, and

transportation costs all contribute to higher stress levels (Amada Senior Care, 2020). When a

senior loses a spouse by divorce or death, the loss of income adds to the existing financial stress.

Additionally, if the spouse who died was the one who managed the finances, the one left behind

can feel overwhelmed and underprepared for the task. Even more, seniors sometimes still feel

obligated to help family members financially or give large gifts for holidays or birthdays. This

pressure can leave seniors with financial insecurity feeling embarrassed that they cannot help or

worse, overextend themselves financially.

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Stressor Importance

Many of the stressors listed feed into one another like a domino effect. As seniors age and

have diminished cognitive and functional abilities, they then need assistance with daily activities.

This can lead to a loss of independence and an increased dependence on others. This care may be

provided by family members, at home nursing, or an assisted living facility. The latter two

options will be expensive and will mostly likely have a large financial impact on the senior. It is

even possible that the senior may not have the funds to pay for this type of care, which would

result in even more stress.

Chronic health issues are a major concern for seniors and their families. The time, effort,

and financial obligation can seem daunting, which can leave seniors feeling like a burden. With

25% of seniors having at least one fall per year in the U.S., this is an everyday concern (The

National Council on Aging, 2022). Some seniors have the additional responsibility of being a

caregiver to someone else which only adds to this risk.

As people age, the likelihood that their friends, family, and even their spouse pass away

increases. This can leave seniors feeling uncertain about what would happen to them in that

situation. The loss not only of someone they love but also someone who helps them manage

tasks that they used to be able to complete on their own can be overwhelming. Additionally, the

grief and loneliness that likely follows will take an emotional toll and possibly a physical one as

well since physical, mental, and emotional health are all interconnected.

Program Descriptions

The proposed program will be housed at a senior living facility but will be accessible to

those still living in their homes as well. This allows for more social support and provides

continuity as seniors move from their homes into the senior living facility. The goal is to create a
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socially interactive program that will help seniors build new relationships and strengthen existing

ones while having access to physical exercise and activities that improve cognitive function as

well as motor skills. Physical activities will be fully adaptable to each person’s current ability

with the goal to progress as they continue with regular participation. The progress will not only

help to improve their physical health and reduce fall risk but will also boost their confidence in

their abilities which will hopefully encourage them to try additional programs and be more active

overall.

Program Implementation

To accomplish the previously listed goals, the program will include stress management

techniques such as physical exercise, craft making, informational seminars, and socialization

with pets and other seniors. Physical exercise is a vital stress management technique for seniors.

It helps to build their immune system, lower their risk for cancer and heart disease, and improve

anxiety and depression (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2022).

Additionally, physical exercise can improve flexibility, muscle strength, and stability. Initial

implementation of this would be through yoga, meditation, tai chi, and short aerobic and weight

training classes. Again, adaptations can be made to each of these to ensure that as many seniors

are able to participate as possible.

Making crafts helps participants improve fine motor skills and gives a sense of

accomplishment upon completion. These types of movements can help seniors improve dexterity

to be able to complete more daily tasks on their own. Additionally, by offering different types of

crafts, seniors can continue a craft they enjoy, rekindle their love for a craft they haven’t done in

a while, or find an exciting new one to try. Completing these crafts in a group setting helps to

create new friendships and combat loneliness, which should hopefully lessen rates of depression.
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Since some seniors don’t have family that visits regularly, this can be especially helpful around

the holidays.

Technology is constantly updating, and information is always changing. Many seniors

can feel stress associated with technology or being unfamiliar with a specific topic. This is a

great opportunity to provide classes and seminars that discuss technology, health issues,

finances, and any other topic of interest to those in attendance. Feeling more informed to make

better decisions can help to lower stress and anxiety for some, especially if they are widowed and

their spouse previously handled that specific task. A suggestion box for new topics to be address

at upcoming seminars will be available to attendees. This is a great way for the seniors to gain

information, but also for them to share their knowledge with fellow attendees. Many seniors can

use their life experience and knowledge from previous careers to help teach other seniors. This

helps to develop a new sense of purpose that some seniors may feel that they have lost. This is

also an opportunity to bring in community to members to share their knowledge with the seniors,

creating further connections between the seniors and the community.

All the stress management techniques discussed help to increase social interaction among

participants which helps create a sense of connection and lessen feelings of loneliness. In

addition, this program will partner with a local animal shelter to bring pets to the program once a

week who are waiting for a home and wanting love. Studies have shown that spending time with

a pet has been shown to improve depression, anxiety, and PTSD in patients (Cleveland Clinic,

2020).

This program’s activities will be regularly scheduled throughout the week to help create a

sense of routine for those who attend. Seniors are welcome to attend as many activities as they

like and will be encouraged to try new activities as well. Lunch will be available to for purchase
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for those who do not live in the senior living facility but would like to eat on location with their

friends. This further eases the transition for those seniors who eventually decide to move into the

senior living facility.

Program Obstacles

Some seniors may be hesitant to participate in physical activities for fear of falling or not

being able to fully complete the moves since a fall could be dangerous, and both could be

embarrassing. Additionally, it can sometimes be challenging to convince people to try new

things, especially when they have followed the same routine for a long period of time. Like at

any age, people are often nervous about meeting new people. This can cause potential

participants to be hesitant about group activities at first.

Health Professionals

The implantation of this program will require a qualified instructor to teach all the

physical fitness classes including yoga, meditation, tai chi, and short aerobic and weight training

classes. It is vital that this person have experience in adapting exercise to meet the physical

limitations of the participants. Additionally, because there will be seniors with health conditions

in attendance, there will need to be a medical assistant in each activity and a nurse available to

come if any issues arise.

Program Measurements

Participants will be asked to complete a survey during registration on their first day of

attendance, after six months, and then once a year following that. The survey will ask

participants about their interests, as well as questions about their current physical and emotional

health including mood, challenges, and goals. This will be the main gauge for participants’

mental health changes. The suggestions and progress noted in these surveys will help guide
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changes in the program to help it become more beneficial to the participants. Additionally, since

nutrition classes and exercise are a part of this program, blood pressure checks and weigh-ins

will be available weekly. This will hopefully encourage program participants to take full

advantages of all the resources and classes available. The results from the blood pressure checks

and weigh-ins will be recorded to see if there has been a positive physical change in participants.

Summary

Seniors have so much knowledge and experience but are often limited by declining

physical health. This is interesting because in this demographic the declining health is often

linked to depression or anxiety caused by feelings of loneliness or loss of purpose, which can be

remedied or at least improved upon. Additionally, the fitness classes suggested could drastically

reduce fall risk by increasing seniors’ strength, flexibility, and stability, which could increase

their independence. Stress caused by finances, loss of independence, or health issues can also be

addressed to help improve the mental health and overall lives of the seniors affected. By

lowering stress through physical exercise, social contact, crafts, informational seminars, and pet

interactions, this program has the potential to drastically improve the lives of the seniors it

serves.
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References

Amada Senior Care. (2020, January 31). The effects of stress on older adults. Amada Senior

Care. https://www.amadaseniorcare.com/2020/01/the-effects-of-stress-on-older-adults/

Cleveland Clinic. (2020, April 29). Why Having a Pet (of Any Kind!) May Boost Your Mood and

Keep Your Brain Healthy. Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-having-a-pet-of-any-kind-may-boost-your-mood-

and-keep-your-brain-healthy/

Cleveland Clinic. (2021, January 28). What is stress? Symptoms, signs & more. Cleveland

Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11874-stress

Godman, H. (2017, March 20). Stress relief tips for older adults. Harvard Health.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/stress/stress-relief-tips-for-older-adults#:~:text=Stress

%20in%20adults%2C%20especially%20older

Lavretsky, H., & Newhouse, P. A. (2012). Stress, Inflammation, and Aging. The American

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20(9), 729–733.

https://doi.org/10.1097/jgp.0b013e31826573cf

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2022, June 23). Stay active as you get

older: Quick tips. Health.gov; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/health-conditions/obesity/stay-active-you-get-older-

quick-tips

The National Council on Aging. (2022, July 21). Get the facts on falls prevention. Ncoa.org.

https://ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-falls-prevention