Helping the elderly with independence
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I have talked previously about my Grandma and how important it is to me that she keeps her independence for as long as possible. Sometimes the simplest of adaptations can help prevent falls in elderly and can allow someone who is struggling with mobility to stay at home.
Whilst I have not really been involved in making decisions for my Grandma I have been very aware of them. This means that when I need to make decisions for my family in the future I am more knowledgeable about what is available.
Personal hygiene and independence
One important way of helping the elderly stay independent is to ensure they can manage their own personal hygiene where possible. I know myself this is one thing I would hate to need help with if there was any way around it.
A few simple adaptions can make this possible. A Bathing Solutions walk-in bath could make all the difference. Especially if the elderly person is unable to climb into a bath but otherwise can look after their hygiene. Walk-in baths or showers could enable them to continue to do it for themselves.
Grab rails and support bars can make a huge difference. No one wants to have help to use the toilet if a small adaption like these enables them to do it alone.
Cooking and Independence
A seat in the kitchen could help an elderly person with limited mobility to still cook independently. Moving essential equipment to the worktop instead of cupboards could be useful too.
My Grandma has her shopping delivered weekly by her local supermarket. This helps her to still choose the food she likes and a family member places her order. Of course, if needed there are also home delivery services such as meals on wheels where you can get good quality regular meals delivered.
Medication and health care for independence
There are so many ways that you can ensure elderly people have the health care they need even if they lack mobility. Did you know that most chemists can deliver medicines? Not only this but also portion them into different easy-to-open packets for each time of day they are needed.
Eye tests can also usually be done at home. Most opticians offer this service for the elderly who are unable to get out to a store. Having the correct glasses could make such a difference to their quality of life.
The importance of visitors
When looking after the welfare of someone who wants to stay independent then ensuring regular visitors is important. The visitors can help with simple tasks the person is unable to do or that only need doing occasionally.
For example, changing the battery of the smoke alarm, changing a light bulb or just moving a cobweb. These little tasks may not always be obvious as they are not daily tasks but are still important.
Did you know you can get telephones which only accept calls from numbers programmed into it previously? This is a great way to prevent bogus calls or those trying to find people to con. Additionally, if your mobility is limited, you do not want to spend time every hour getting up and crossing a room to answer a sales call.
Do you know any other ways we can help our elderly to stay independent? Please do share them with me below in the comments.
