Odds are, you have someone whom you love a great deal and who has gotten older and less independent.
Here are some tips on how you can help them to be more independent.
How To Promote Independence In The Elderly
Ensuring that your elderly loved one has the best quality of life might mean taking a few extra measures to ensure that they are enjoying their independence at home.
Maintaining certain things, such as keeping to the schedule they are used to, helps to keep them in their comfort zone.
However, it can be a juggling act to do this while ensuring their needs are being met.
Here are a few tips to help with promoting independence in your senior loved one:
1. Encourage them to perform daily tasks
This is important if the senior still has the ability to perform day to day tasks.
When you visit them (or if the senior lives with you), encourage them to do things like folding clothes, washing the dishes, doing the laundry, writing a grocery list, and helping to prepare meals.
They may not be able to help much when it comes to such things as lifting heavier objects, but being able to perform regular household tasks will provide a sense of reassurance.
2. Yse professionals
Consider hiring an Occupational Therapist to work with your senior loved one to help train them to perform their ADL’s in a different way or with tools to help them keep their independence.
3. Use third party services
If they are willing and able to prepare their own meals consider using a home delivery service to deliver fresh food that’s ready for meal preparation.
It’s a great and convenient service that can ensure they are getting fresh and nutritious food without the hassle of shopping for it and assembling the ingredients.
4. Promote engagement of physical activity
Exercise is important, especially for the elderly. It is a stress reducer and it helps to lower blood pressure.
Another benefit of exercise for seniors is that it helps promote balance and strength, which reduces risk of falling.
Making them accountable (i.e., telling you how far they walked or how many steps they took with their exercise tracker, etc) will help keep them motivated.
5. Focus on what they are still capable of doing
Seniors can become frustrated at the increased difficulty or inability to perform tasks that once were second nature to them.
You can foster independence by helping them focus on the things they can still accomplish.
6. Make the home safe
Make sure that their home is equipped with the appropriate safety devices.
As we get older, navigating around the surroundings within the home becomes more dangerous due to things like throw rugs or slippery floors, or when performing tasks such as getting into and out of bathtubs.
Adding pieces of equipment to the home, such as grab bars and non-slip rugs and mats will make it safer for them to get around in the home.
7. Make tasks easier
There’s usually some resistance to changing the way things have always been done but if you can encourage your senior loved one to do things more easily and safely, that can go a long way in helping them to be as independent as possible.
8. Encourage the use of aides
Hiring a senior care professional is not just for an individual who is not capable of taking care of themselves.
They actually can allow an active elder to maintain their independence by helping with tasks that are now a little more difficult, such as picking up heavier objects and house cleaning.
Senior care professionals are also a great resource for transporting the elderly to help them complete their errands and get to any necessary appointments (Read our articles about how Uber and Lyft can help with this, as well).
9. Look into using mobility devices
Many older adults that I know consider mobility devices as a sign of weakness, disability and just getting old.
But the truth is, mobility devices like canes, walkers and scooters can greatly help older adults to be as independent as they possibly can.
10. Most importantly, shift your perspective for positive aging.
As our beloved seniors enter the golden years, it’s natural for family caregivers to transition from sharing activities together to taking charge of tasks on their behalf.
However, it’s crucial to remember that our loved ones still deserve our unwavering love and respect.
By adjusting our mindset and actively choosing to engage in activities with our seniors, we can help them feel less dependent and more empowered to maintain their independence.
Instead of perceiving their needs as burdensome, let’s embrace a mindset that emphasizes shared experiences and companionship.
By making this mental shift, we can foster an environment where our loved ones feel valued and included, rather than feeling like they are solely relying on us for everything.
