Reducing stress
Reducing stress, avoiding the depressed state, improving memory – all these criteria are a direct proof of the effectiveness of mindfulness practice among the elderly population. This approach, as Larouche, Chouinard, Morin-Alain, Goulet, and Hudon (2017) note, is a successful method since a meditation technique not only helps to alleviate physical discomfort but also contributes to brain function, which is particularly important for old people with dementia. Constant nervousness and depression are inevitable factors of Alzheimer’s disease. Nevertheless, according to Pitawanakwat et al. (2016), the use of mindfulness practice is a “culturally relevant cognitive assessment tool” that can significantly affect the condition of elderly patients for the better (p. P311). I have not met with such patients yet, but if such an opportunity arises, I will observe with interest how the process of recovery is underway.
Mindfulness practice meaning
For me, the practice of mindfulness practice means maximum immersion in a personal inner world with the goal of expanding consciousness and discovering new and unfamiliar feelings and emotions. As Parikh et al. (2016) argue, cognitive functions are unique and cannot be studied in terms of traditional medicine and by taking medications. Any person is able to develop a new potential, deeply immersing in his or her consciousness and getting distracted from the familiar world, concentrating solely on inner sensations. In the case of mental diseases, the situation is almost identical. Anxiety disorders affect the elderly population often, and the mindfulness practice described can be one of the few ways to return such people to their previous state (“Fast facts about mental illness,” 2018). Therefore, this approach to treatment is topical and may be in demand.
References
Fast facts about mental illness. (2018). Web.
Larouche, E., Chouinard, A. M., Morin-Alain, V., Goulet, S., & Hudon, C. (2017). Higher mindfulness meditation practice predicts improvement of executive components of attention in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 13(7), P610. Web.
Parikh, S. V., Quilty, L. C., Ravitz, P., Rosenbluth, M., Pavlova, B., Grigoriadis, S.,… Uher, R. (2016). Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2016 clinical guidelines for the management of adults with major depressive disorder: Section 2. Psychological treatments.The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 61(9), 524-539. Web.
Pitawanakwat, K., Jacklin, K., Blind, M., O’Connell, M. E., Warry, W., Walker, J.,… Flicker, L. (2016). Adapting the Kimberly indigenous cognitive assessment for use with indigenous older adults in Canada.Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 12(7), P311. Web.