Mindfulness, Stress Reduction & Senior Well Being

Studies on mindfulness are on the rise. However, when it comes to the elderly, how does this field fare?

Majority of studies (27 of them) say that mindfulness benefits the elderly. However, some tell the other way around.

Mindfulness has been practiced all over the globe to promote over-all well being by focusing on one’s thinking and actions. By a deep reflection on one’s thoughts and actions as well as on breathing, people practicing this often experience life-changing advantages.

In the elderly, particularly, mindfulness was said to aid in reducing inflammation, as well as boost cognition and emotion. However, there is still a need to conduct more research -- those involving a larger controlled and randomized trials, Stephanie Fountain-Zaragoza, lead author of a research found in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, reiterated.

The implications on home care services? Well, as more studies are being conducted, it is also imperative that care providers look into this field to identify ways to strengthen the elderly’s well being -- with the help of mindfulness techniques.