Old age is one of those blessings that comes with a fair share of challenges. It gets to a point when deterioration of the physical and mental abilities of a parent or a loved one gets out of control. At this point, siblings or younger people living with seniors are obliged to take care of them considering that they too took care of us. This comes with a fair share of transitional challenges, which are both emotionally and financially challenging.
Have you ever thought about the possibility of losing your ability to perform simple everyday tasks? When young, things like buttoning a shirt, slipping shoes, or getting something from the cabinet are always not even worth thinking about. Inability to perform this simple tasks indeed becomes a reality when one gets old. So, how does one help seniors battle with this hindering notion?
How to help an elderly loved one age independently
In-home care
Most people are unable to fully dedicate themselves towards taking care of a loved one due to other commitments elsewhere. As such, the best thing one can do is find someone to take care of the senior. Ideally, this person should be more of a companion who also helps them run errands.
Prepare your home
You also need to make things easy for aging parents by keeping things in order. The best way to go about this is to keep is to put yourself in their shoes and address their common needs as well as potential hazards. Think about adding some bathroom rails, lower shelves, adding more lights and anything that will be of help to them. If you have a caregiver as well, these changes will give an added measure of confidence your parent is safe.
Use living aids
The primary objective of using living aids is to address over dependency. The aid chosen is often informed by some specific tasks the senior finds challenging. Having the right aids for your loved one will undoubtedly help them overcome their limitations, which will certainly help them live an active and independent life. Some popular living aids include dressing aids, reachers/grabbers, eating and drinking aids, OTC medication aids, and transfer aids among others.
Embrace technology for peace of mind
As much as you might strive to minimize safety risks at home or have essential living aids, you also need to provide the senior with at least a cell phone. However, you should give them a device that is simple to use. This will make it easy for them to reach out you in case of an emergency. Thanks to technological advancements in the care industry, we now have many products like Life Alert, Alert-1, Philips Lifeline, and QuietCare dedicated to ensuring that the senior has a shoulder to lean on just in case of an emergency.
Exercise
Exercises play a vital role in improving the quality of life. In the case of senior, you do not have to worry about rigorous workouts. Instead, you can always go for a walk or find a simple activity they can participate in comfortable. Get something that makes them active and turn it into a social activity. Physical exercises will certainly help them live independently, fend off heart diseases, and reduce blood pressure.
Putting these tips to practical use will help any senior maintain their independence, dignity, and safety as they age. Thanks to the many resources aimed at helping seniors live independently, you no longer need to make your parent leave their home. Whether we are prepared or not, most of us will have to live with the reality of taking care of a loved one at some point.