From a study conducted by AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), it turns out more than 80 percent of respondents prefer to remain in their homes and community for as long as possible. These days, many senior citizens end up transitioning into a senior care facility, often reluctantly. While you likely understand the underlying need to be in the comfort of your home for as long as possible, you may struggle while providing care to your loved ones. Try some of these tips to help your favorite senior age in place.
Plan Activities Together
The best way to make your loved one feel included and keep them active is to include them in more recreational and social activities. Be it an outing to watch your daughter’s recital at school or a picnic in the park, invite your senior loved one so they do not feel isolated. Moreover, physical activities can help your loved one stay fit and healthy for as long as possible. Simply put, it is important to let your loved ones know they are always welcome to share the joys of everyday life with you.
Be Proactive About Healthcare
Seek out geriatric health information and conduct periodic checks on your senior loved one’s health to ensure you are always prepared to take care of them. If they are dealing with a chronic illness, work with their primary care team to come up with a long-term plan to manage their condition.
Underlying health problems can worsen with age leading to limited mobility and social interaction. This can directly impact both the physical and mental health of your senior loved one. Check with their care team if they have noticed any behavioral changes or if they are struggling with daily tasks. Many issues in old age need medical intervention along with ‘daily’ interactions and problem-solving.
Consider Modern Solutions
One of the best ways to ensure your loved one is always safe and secure is by installing a personal emergency response system in their home. However, with advancements in medical technology, a new generation of cutting-edge tools are at your disposal now to make it easier for your senior loved one to get help when they need it.
Tech-enhanced healthcare has several tools that allow you to manage the personal health of your loved one efficiently. New iterations of PERS come loaded with a myriad of useful and high-tech sensors for fall detection, heart rate, and blood pressure monitoring, and other daily life sensors. These will inform you and their care team of any critical changes in their health or behavior pattern.
Visit Regularly
By visiting your senior loved one regularly you can have a positive impact on their life. Don’t let too much time slip by between visits! Be it for dinner, small talk while sitting on the porch, or just to say ‘hi’ when you happen to be in their neighborhood, try to spend as much time with them as possible.
Old age makes it quite easy to fall prey to social isolation, especially if they are dealing with mobility issues. This can cause your senior loved one’s health to deteriorate and become worse if they get depressed. By visiting your favorite senior regularly, you can also keep a check on their health and ensure they are well taken care of.
Invest in Long-Term Care Insurance
Considering Medicare does not cover ongoing long-term care, you should definitely think about investing in long-term care insurance plans. These plans help pay for the cost of taking care of your senior loved ones, usually not covered by standard health insurance or Medicare. When extra help is needed, you can even start looking into arranging a caregiver for them at home.
Seek Help
You should never hesitate when seeking professional help or advice, after all, the wellbeing of your senior loved ones is imperative. If you require medical transportation or want to ensure your senior loved ones make it to their doctor appointments and other treatment on time, we at Stellar Transport can help you. We provide wheelchair assistance, stretchers, and door-to-door pickup and drop-off services, to ensure your loved ones get a safe and comfortable ride wherever they want to go.