As people age, it is common for them to be afflicted with more ailments, illnesses, and other injuries. It’s also common for them to know and be in relation with people who are also afflicted with these ailments, illnesses, and injuries. Therefore, it makes sense that some elderly people develop hypochondria or hypochondriac tendencies as they age.
If you have an elderly parent, you may notice that they are starting to have some of these tendencies. Whether you are their primary caretaker or not, there are steps you can take to make sure they are supported. Here are the top twelve ways to support a hypochondriac elderly parent:
Show patience and understanding with your hypochondriac elderly parent.
Look, we all know that it can be difficult to show patience and understanding to your parents. Especially as they age! They may constantly complain about their health, even when there is nothing wrong. They may also be difficult to reason with and may not want to listen to what you have to say. But showing patience and understanding is essential in supporting your hypochondriac elderly parent. After all, they may truly be worried about their health and feel like they are not being heard. Try to listen to their concerns and offer reassurance. It is also important to be patient even when they are feeling well. They may still want to talk about their health and their symptoms, even when there is nothing explicitly wrong. Try to be understanding and listen to what they have to say.
Avoid arguing or trying to convince your hypochondriac elderly parent that their health concerns are unfounded.
There’s no sense in arguing with a hypochondriac elderly parent that their health concerns are unfounded. Instead, try to listen to them without judgment and offer reassurance in a non-patronizing way. If your parent is fixated on a particular health worry, you can provide information that may help ease their anxiety. For example, are they worried about a specific disease? If so, you could look up statistics on the likelihood of developing that disease. If none of these things work, we highly recommend booking your hypochondriac elderly parent a doctor’s appointment so they can get relevant answers from a qualified health professional.
Encourage them to see their doctor for regular checkups and to get any necessary tests or treatments.
One of the ways you can support your hypochondriac elderly parent is to help them stay on top of their checkups, tests, and treatments. This will provide reassurance to both you and your hypochondriac elderly parent that they are healthy. If your hypochondriac elderly parent is afraid or resistant towards going to the doctor, explain to them that you want them to stay on top of their health because you care about them. You can help them make the doctor’s appointment and accompany them to the appointment(s) if that makes it easier. This way, they will feel supported in this endeavor.
Help your hypochondriac elderly parent follow their doctor’s recommendations.
Some elderly people struggle to follow their doctor’s recommendations, either because they are forgetful or they simply don’t want to. However, your hypochondriac elderly parent should follow their doctor’s recommendations. After all, their doctor is the most qualified person to give them medical advice. If you want to be a support system to your hypochondriac elderly parent, you can help them follow their doctor’s recommendations by keeping track of them in a notebook and logging the days they actually follow the recommendations. In this notebook, you can also encourage your hypochondriac elderly parent to write down their questions, observations, and/or symptoms for their next doctor’s appointment.
Assist them with taking their medications as prescribed.
It can be difficult to encourage a hypochondriac elderly parent to take their medications, but there are some things that you can do to help. First, try to explain to them why it is important to take their medications as prescribed. This may include talking about how their medications can help to prevent or treat their medical conditions. If they are still reluctant to take their medications, you could try offering to help them with taking their medications. This could involve setting up a pill box for them or helping them to remember to take their medications at the correct times. You could also set an alarm on their phone or Alexa reminding them to take their medications at the right time. You could also try to find out if there are any non-medical reasons why they may be reluctant to take their medications, such as taste or cost. If so, there may be ways to address these issues, such as getting medication in a different form or getting financial assistance to help with the cost of their medications.
Help your hypochondriac elderly parent to eat a healthy diet and to get regular exercise.
It is crucial that your hypochondriac elderly parent eats a healthy diet and gets regular exercise. First, try to have a conversation with your parent about their health concerns. If they are open to talking about it, try to find out what specific things are causing them anxiety. Once you know what their concerns are, you can help to address them. For example, if they are worried about developing heart disease, you can help them to find healthy recipes that are low in fat and cholesterol. You can also help them to find an exercise program that is tailored to their needs and abilities. If they are worried about memory loss, you can help them to find activities that will help to keep their mind active, such as doing puzzles or reading. Finally, try to be understanding and patient with your parent. They may not be ready to make changes overnight, but if you are supportive, they may be more likely to make some positive changes in their diet and activity level over time. You can also offer to cook for/with them, and offer to exercise with them. There’s nothing like a family speed walk around the neighborhood!
Encourage them to stay socially active and to find activities that they enjoy.
Social activities are very important for any aging person, but they’re especially important for an aging person who is struggling with hypochondria. Staying socially active will help keep your parent occupied and engaged in positive behaviors instead of dwelling on their negative thoughts. Some activities could include: getting involved in a book club, finding a walking group, playing board games or doing puzzles with friends, going on a guided trip domestically or overseas, adopting a pet and taking them to the dog park, or volunteering.
Help them to stay organized and to keep track of their health concerns and appointments.
As people get older, the doctor’s appointments start to stack up. Not only are there the routine, preventative appointments, but there are appointments for common ailments and illnesses that happen as a result of aging. It is very important that your hypochondriac elderly parent stays organized and keeps track of all these appointments and pieces of health information so they don’t miss anything. You can help your parent stay organized by creating a central “hub” for all of their health information. Create a central “hub” for all of your parent’s health information. This could be a physical folder or binder, or a digital file on your computer. Include everything from their current medications and medical conditions to upcoming appointments and test results. Your hypochondriac elderly parent will appreciate having a place to stay on top of their health concerns.
Offer to go with them to doctor’s appointments or to help them make decisions about their health care.
If you have an elderly parent who is a hypochondriac, you may be wondering why you should offer to go with them to their doctor’s appointments and help them make decisions about their health care. There are several reasons why this would be beneficial. First, having somebody with them (such as yourself) can help to ease their anxiety about going to the doctor. Second, it can help them to feel more comfortable about discussing their health concerns with the doctor. Third, it can help you to better understand your parent’s health concerns and how to best help them manage them. Finally, it can help to build a stronger relationship with your parent as you work together to manage their health. Overall, positive vibes all around!
Help them to find reliable information about their health concerns.
Hypochondriacs are notorious for trying to find their own information and spiraling once they do so. In order to support your hypochondriac elderly parent, you should direct your attention to helping them find reliable information as opposed to information that will make their hypochondria worse. The best way to do this is to encourage your hypochondriac elderly parent to be in contact with their doctor. This could be through a web portal, a phone call, or an email – whichever method is most comfortable for then. Your hypochondriac elderly parent’s doctor will be able to provide them with reliable information about conditions they fear.
If your parent is wanting to research their conditions online, make sure they are using reliable sources. The Mayo Clinic website is a good place to start, as it offers accurate, up-to-date information on many health topics.
Be a source of emotional support for your hypochondriac elderly parent.
If you have a hypochondriac elderly parent, you may find yourself being their primary source of emotional support. This can be a difficult and challenging role, but it is also an important one. The most important factor to consider in this role is that your parent is looking for somebody to validate their feelings. Let them know that you understand that they are feeling scared and worried. This doesn’t mean you think their concerns are valid, but it does show you empathize with how they’re feeling. Try to remember that your parent is not doing this on purpose. They are likely feeling very anxious and scared, and may not be able to help the way they are behaving.
Let them know that you are there for them and that you care about their well-being.
Overall, It can be difficult to deal with an elderly parent who is a hypochondriac. They may be constantly worried about their health and well-being, and this can be tough to handle. However, it is important to let your parent know that you are there for them and that you care about their wellbeing. This will help them cope with their condition more than you would ever imagine.
Disclaimer: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE.
If you are currently experiencing medical concerns, it’s important to talk to a doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions. HypochondriacHQ does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this website.
