It can be easy for us middle-aged adults to think that our aging parents, well into their retirement years, don’t experience stress. After all, they are no longer running frantic with the responsibilities of work, family, and community. Yet stress is a real issue for our aging loved ones. Often, symptoms of stress in an aging parent can be mistaken for symptoms of dementia.

Furthermore, chronic stress in older adults has even been linked to onset of dementia. It’s important for adult children and caregivers to understand sources of stress in older adults and how this differs from dementia symptoms.

A 2021 survey showed that 44% of older adults age 50-80 experience significant stress that affects how they feel, think, and function in daily life. Even in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has not been a significant change in rates of stress and stress related illness among American adults, including older adults. 

Stressors Affecting Older Adults

There are many sources of stress that can affect an older adult. Some of these are personal stressors—events or circumstances that are unique to each individual. Others are ‘collective’ or ‘global’ stressors—things that all of us, across age groups, are exposed to and affected by to some degree. Here is a short list of common stressors affecting older adults:

• Loneliness
• Sleep changes and sleep deprivation
• Grief
• Changes in social status
• Changes in financial circumstances 
• Changes in health and/or mobility
• Retirement & loss of sense of purpose
• Caregiving for a seriously ill partner
• Poor eating habits
• Chronic Pain
• Feeling helplessness about or being affected by social issues such as gun violence, economic upheaval, climate disasters

How Stress Affects Older Adults

When the body is under stress, activating all physiological systems for fight or flight. In the short term, and with access to strategies and resources to mitigate the stress, the body adapts and recovers, returning to a state of balance.  Chronic stress, however, causes significant physiological changes and accumulation of stress hormones leading to inflammation, weakening immunity, and increasing the risk of stress-related illnesses, such as digestive issues, weight gain, chronic pain, heart disease, stroke, depression and anxiety and even risk for dementia. 

Older adults display symptoms of stress such as

• Problems sleeping
• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
• Feeling pressured or rushed
• Eating too much or not enough
• Being irritable or moody
• Forgetting things
• Experiencing physical symptoms such as stomach problems, headaches, or back pain

Compare the above stressors with the early symptoms of dementia, below.

Early Symptoms of Dementia

• Everyday tasks that should come easily cause frustration or agitation
• Changes in mood that show a significant shift in personality
• Trouble communicating, following a conversation, and losing train of thought
• Forgetfulness in a variety of circumstances
• Difficulty concentrating, following a conversation, or train of though
• Unusual anxiety, fear, or suspicion
• Neglecting personal hygiene or care of living space
• Confusion about time and place
• Not taking medications as directed

Remember, lots of older adults—all adults, really—can be forgetful and have problems sleeping especially during a stressful time. This does not necessarily indicate an increased risk for dementia. You have to look at the duration, the context, and the pervasiveness of the symptoms you are observing in an aging parent. If the symptoms are out of context with the situation, are long-term, and pervasive, then something more than stress may be going on. Be sure record your observations and discuss your concerns with a geriatric physician. 

The Right Care at the Right Time for an Aging Parent

If you find that your aging parent is experiencing long-term stress that is deteriorating their ability to care for themselves in their living space, then it may be time to consider assisted living. This is especially important to do if you are unable step into the caregiver role for your parent. At Everbrook Senior Living, our compassionate care counselors offer support and guidance through the complex choices around care for an aging parent. We are here to help you make informed choices that best suit your loved one’s needs. Our state-of-the-art, affordable luxury residences provide both social-emotional outlets and medical attention that your loved one may made need. Our properties located throughout New England offer a full complement of health, wellness, recreational, social, and cultural activities to support older adults from independent living to assisted care.

Other Resources

Can Stress Cause Dementia? 

The Influence of Chronic Stress on Dementia-Related Symptoms

Is Stress an Overlooked Risk Factor for Dementia?