How to Help an Aging Loved One Be More Independent at Home

Taking care of your aging loved ones can sometimes be challenging because of the many factors you must consider. If they still can, it is best if you support their independence. This article provides some tips to help you help your aging loved one be more independent, even just at home.

Arrange Home Care

Initially, consider hiring home care services to help your loved one at home. This will be a beneficial solution if you cannot personally aid your parents or loved one due to other responsibilities such as work or having little kids. Reputable providers of home health care in Memphis suggest opting for a service provider within your vicinity so they can quickly come to your home whenever necessary. If your loved one needs assistance maintaining independence at home and being active in your community, call these types of services because they will be the ones who can help. When you arrange in-home care services, they can take care of meal preparation, housekeeping, and personal care assistance if needed. They can aid your aging parents in navigating the house until they get accustomed to their daily routine. Even if you are not living with them, this will give you peace of mind that they are cared for.

Modify Your Home

Making the necessary interior modifications is another significant thing you can do to help your aging loved one live more independently at home. For instance, try installing grab bars in the bathroom so they can have something to hold on to when using the potty. Since the bathroom can also be slippery, especially when the floor is wet, the grab bars can help ensure they don't slip and fall. You can also use non-slip mats in parallel. For the stairways in the house, ensure that there are railings, or better yet, install ramps or a home elevator if possible. It will be easier to go up and down the stairs with a ramp, which is also accessible if your loved one already needs to be in a wheelchair. You must also ensure that the stairs and the hallways are adequately lighted. Remember that the eyesight of aging people tends to deteriorate, so they may not be able to see clearly in dimly lit areas.

Have an Emergency Plan

Having an emergency plan is crucial for seniors. To develop an emergency plan for seniors at home, you can start by compiling a list of emergency contacts that includes the numbers of family members, neighbors, healthcare providers, and local emergency services. Then, ensure your loved one knows how to use and access emergency equipment, such as medical alert systems, fire extinguishers, and first aid kits. Or ensure that their primary care provider knows this. Additionally, create a detailed plan outlining steps to take during various emergencies, such as what to do when there is a fire, a medical crisis, or a natural disaster, and conduct regular drills to ensure familiarity and preparedness.

Use Assistive Technologies

Due to the developments of the current generation's technology, helping your elderly family members cultivate this form of independence at home is less challenging. For example, medical alert systems, dispensing medicine devices, and smart home devices can help manage daily activities and improve safety. There are devices that seniors can wear, such that when they push a button, they get immediate assistance in an emergency. Automated medication dispensers benefit senior citizens as they alert the patient when it is time to take the next dosage and give the correct dosage to avoid cases of wrong dosages. Voice assistants, intelligent lights, and smart thermostats are the inventions that safely and conveniently help older adults manage their home environment more quickly due to potential disabilities while allowing caregivers to be connected to them.

Encourage Health and Wellness Activities

Even as they age, your loved ones should still find the time to be physically active. While they may be a bit restricted or limited in what they can do, moving around can help them tremendously. In this case, you can install a "home gym" at home tailored explicitly to the machines they can use to help with their stretching or other personalized physical needs. You can even hire a physical therapist to visit them twice or thrice a week to help them increase their mobility. With this, they can move more freely around the house.

In parallel, it is also a good idea to ensure they eat foods that can help them feel better and stronger. This may mean you have to be on top of their diet, doing the groceries for them initially. You can let them go with you while you do their groceries to foster independence. If you don't have the time to visit a physical grocery store, involve them when you do the groceries online and let them choose the options they like while still trying to keep everything healthy and good for them.

Help with their Medications and Finances

Helping your aging loved ones with their medications is another excellent way to ensure they get their prescriptions on time. But, to still foster independence, you can buy a medicine container labeled with the prescriptions they need to take on the schedules, such as morning, lunch, and dinner. From there, call them whenever it is time to take their medicine as a reminder, indicating which container they should open. You may not even have to call them each time when they get used to the schedule of medicine intake. Finally, your aging loved one may also need assistance regarding their finances, ensuring that everything they need to pay is settled. In this case, assist with managing finances and paying bills or set up automatic payments and banking services to reduce stress and ensure financial stability.

To help an aging loved one be more independent at home, you can initially turn to home care services, modify your home as necessary, and have an emergency plan. You can also use assistive technologies to encourage health and wellness activities. More importantly, you can also aid them in medication and financial management. All these are geared towards ensuring that your aging loved ones can still live the quality life they deserve.