Too often, caregivers get wrapped up in the importance of catering to the physical needs of their elderly loved ones. It makes perfect sense. After all, older adults generally contend with aches, pains and mobility issues. It’s a fact of life we’ve all come to accept. What sometimes gets lost in that realization, however, is the fact that seniors also battle with mental health issues. As a caregiver, it’s important to find ways to bring joy to the senior in your life.
Encourage regular physical activity.
Everyone needs to exercise. Yes, this includes seniors. A little light exercise every day is great way to improve an older person’s blood circulation and maintenance of a healthy weight. In addition, regular exercise will help to brighten the mood of your elderly loved one.
“Regular physical activity, no matter how gentle, helps keeps both body and mind feeling balanced and positive,” says DailyCaring.com, “Physically, exercise boosts the immune system, lowers blood pressure, improves sleep quality, improves heart health, relieves anxiety, improves strength and stamina, and more.”
Look through photo albums together.
Trips down memory lane often generate many smiles and laughs. For an older adult, a look through an old photo album can help to invigorate fond and precious memories. In some cases, those memories may have been lost due to battles with dementia. As Carol Bradley Bursack points out on AgingCare.com, photographs from a senior’s young adult years can foster senses of belonging and joy.
“Photo albums alone can bring smiles to many elders—even those with cognitive impairments,” she writes, “Because of the way memory loss occurs, seniors tend to retain and recall memories and information from long ago much better than recent people, places and events. A good rule is that the more severe a loved one’s memory issues are, the older the pictures should be.”
Give your elderly loved one daily responsibilities.
No one likes to be left out. This is true even when it comes to household chores. For seniors especially, being given responsibilities makes them feel like valued members of the family. Don’t shut out your elderly loved ones. Even if they are contending with mobility issues, find some tasks that they can help you to complete without enduring hardships. As DailyCaring.com attests, from the very young to the very old, everyone wants to be useful.
“When you care for an older adult, do your best to make them feel like you still need their help and that they’re not a burden,” reads the site, “Even if they can’t do these tasks efficiently or perfectly, that’s ok. What’s important is that they’re contributing. Ask for help with tasks they can handle, such as: folding laundry; organizing drawers; opening the mail; writing grocery or household to-do lists; clipping coupons; (and) prepping dinner.”
At LifeCare Mobility Solutions, we support the betterment of mental health for all. To assist with that, we offer a wide range of high-quality mobility solutions. They help both seniors and individuals with mobility issues to get around safely. These solutions promote a great ease of stress. Among them are mobility scooters, wheeled walkers and rollators.
To learn all about them, 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!
