Anxiety
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Tips for Careworkers:
Anxiety

What it is: Feeling anxious means a person feels scared or worried about something. This is normal, and usually goes away.

Anxiety is when these feelings don’t go away.

Why it matters: Many older people experience anxiety. Anxiety can be more common when people have a serious illness or at the end of life.

In an older person anxiety can be difficult to see because it is often associated with loneliness, depression and/or dementia.

When a person experiences anxiety and depression together, their symptoms and outcomes are more severe.

What I need to know: Anxiety can create physical symptoms, and changed behaviours and thoughts. These responses affect a person’s health and quality of life.

Do

Look out for and report to nursing/supervisory staff, if a person:

  • becomes unable to relax
  • becomes bad tempered
  • has trouble sleeping or concentrating
  • feels very tired or very awake
  • is short of breath.
 

Do

Gently ask the person ‘Is there anything else troubling you?’ or ‘Is there anything you would like to talk about?’ It can help a person to talk about things that worry them.

 

Do

Treat the person with respect. Help them to maintain their sense of dignity, purpose, and spiritual well-being.

 

My reflections:

 

What is anxiety?
 

What signs of anxiety should I report to the nurse or supervisor?


 

For references and the latest version of all the Tip Sheets visit Practice Tip sheets for careworkers

 

CareSearch is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
Updated July 2022

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