May 17, 2024
Companion care at home can help your elderly loved one create routines that help them thrive as they get older. One of the things a senior can do to focus on mental health and emotional well-being is meditation and there are several different forms. Every person is different and seniors may find they like one style of mediation over the other. Companion care at home can help create a routine and encourage your loved one to do the styles that best suit their needs and personalities. Here are some different types of meditation that can be beneficial for seniors aging in place.
A senior may struggle with compassion especially towards themselves and others. Compassion meditation’s goal is to focus on being kind and cultivating love towards yourself and others. This mindset can allow a senior to age in place more gracefully and change their entire mindset and even treat companion care at home a lot nicer. In this form of meditation a senior is encouraged to think happy thoughts and send goodwill onto others or themselves. It can enhance empathy and improve relationships over time. This form of mediation can be a lot easier to grasp because it is always easier to wish good fortune onto others rather than yourself, but it is important to note that a senior can do both with this form of meditation.
When people think of meditation they sometimes think about repeating a word or phrase, this is actually known as a mantra. If a senior has an affirmation for the day or a word they are focused on, sitting and repeating this word can help them feel calmer and they may remember the word or mantra throughout the day which helps direct their actions later on. If they are repeating something about clarity they may be able to focus throughout the day, if they are repeating something about kindness, they may be able to be kinder throughout the day. A word can shape the way the day goes and that is why this form of meditation is powerful.
Loving-Kindness meditation is something a senior should give a try. Although this is very similar to compassion meditation it is different because it starts inwards and works outward. Compassion meditation has a main focus on other people whereas this form of meditation starts with acceptance of who you are and where you are at. This is a type of meditation that can be good for seniors who are struggling to cope with changes of aging. Your senior loved one may not be very kind to themselves and that can lead to unhappiness. Taking the time to treat yourself with grace and accept yourself is going to be crucial for seniors who are nearing end of life.
This is when a senior will practice focusing on an object. It is an intentional focus that will help keep them grounded and present. This can be a candle flame or other object or even a specific sound to focus on. It is a gateway to deeper meditation. But a senior may find that by practicing paying attention it helps them focus on other tasks later on in the day.
