It doesn’t matter how old you are – no one wants to feel like he/she can’t take care of him/herself. When you lose your independence, you lose a lot of your self-confidence, your pride and your dignity. It isn’t fair. At LifeCare Mobility Solutions, we strongly believe in engaging in practices that help seniors to restore their independence. In today’s blog, we’ll look at a few important ones.
Create and stick to a routine.
Routine is born out of repetition. And repetition is a great way to remember things. Keep in mind that a loss of independence often comes by way of a loss of memory. When older adults forget to perform some of their daily tasks – bathing, for example – it’s necessary for a caregiver to step in and offer assistance. By creating and sticking to a routine, you’ll help your elderly loved one’s memory and ability to do things on his/her own.
“A big part of helping seniors keep their independence is to help them follow a routine they can rely on,” says Neecey on AllWomensTalk.com, “If they have always gone to the library on a Friday, allow them to keep things the same as much as possible. There is comfort in routine and familiarity, and keeping things the same means they can feel safe and grounded and much less anxious as they get older.”
Safeguard your home.
The safer your home is, the less you’ll have to worry about watching over your elderly loved one’s every move. Naturally, one of the reasons why independence is lost in one’s later years is because he/she is more prone to injury due to slips and falls. By ensuring that there are no tripping hazards in your home, you’ll enable the senior you live with to feel more confident that he/she can get around without help.
“The most common injuries to seniors living at home are the result of falls,” Lisa McLeod-Lofquist reminds us on CareAParent.com, “Falls can cause serious injury which could result in long-term complications requiring a move. Many falls can be prevented by making minor, inexpensive adjustments to the home environment.”
Help them with modern technology.
One of the biggest problems faced by seniors is modern technology – or to be more specific, their aversion to it. You’re not likely to find many tech savvy seniors. That is, unless you take the time to help the senior in your life to get better acquainted with some of today’s technological advances. If you can help your elderly loved one to perform such simple tasks as sending texts or taking photos on a smartphone, he/she will feel much better about him/herself.
“How often do you see a senior citizen use a smartphone or a tablet?” asks Russell Simpkins of Forward Day, “It’s certainly not as commonplace a sight as seeing a teenager play with these devices. Modern technology can make older individuals feel isolated and ‘behind the times’. However, as we all know, access to the internet can do a lot to keep us all abreast of what’s going on in the world.”
At LifeCare Mobility Solutions, we’re big on helping seniors find ways to restore their independence. As a result, we offer a wide array of mobility solutions that help them to overcome the limitations created by their mobility issues.
If you have any questions about the mobility solution offered by LifeCare Mobility Solutions, please don’t hesitate to call us at 416-267-9800 or email us at info@lifecaremobility.ca. You may also contact us by filling out the form on our Contact page!
