Seniors sometimes reach a point where they stop taking care of themselves. For instance, they may stop eating healthy, bathing, taking their medications, or going to the doctor. Once you realize your aging loved one has begun to neglect his or her health, it’s time to look for solutions. These strategies help seniors get back on track with looking after their physical and mental health needs.
Help Them Find Motivation
Your loved one might have simply given up on his or her health because he or she feels like there’s no point in trying. This often happens if seniors feel like they’re not making progress or are experiencing mental health issues such as depression. Talk to your loved one about the goals he or she has for aging. For instance, he or she may want to spend more time with the grandchildren or continue to be able to age in place. Reminding your loved one of these goals provides a reason to start boosting his or her health.
Identify Their Current State of Health
It’s also possible your loved one is experiencing health issues that make it difficult to take care of his or her body and mind. If necessary, take your loved one to the doctor for a physical exam that provides insight into what he or she needs. It’s common for health to change rapidly in the senior years, and your loved one may be experiencing chronic pain, memory issues, and other challenges that need to be addressed.
Seniors can face a variety of challenges as they age, many of which can be mitigated with the help of professional in-home caregivers who provide high-quality senior home care. Trust Home Care Assistance to help your elderly loved one age in place safely and comfortably.
Develop a Plan to Treat Current Health Conditions
Once you know your loved one’s current state of health, you can move on to creating a plan that helps him or her feel better. Your loved one might need help getting to and from medical appointments or need to create a weekly schedule that defines when to exercise and take care of personal hygiene. Putting things down on paper can help your loved one see what needs to be done.
Explore Assistive Devices
Most people need to adopt new strategies for accomplishing their daily tasks as they age. Seniors who have difficulty taking their medications might need to use pill dispensers with alarms that track their dosages. Aging adults can use electric toothbrushes and water flossers to make oral hygiene easier. They might also want to explore things such as walk-in tubs that help them take care of their health with greater independence.
Living independently is important for seniors who want to maintain a high quality of life. For some, this simply means receiving help with tasks that have become more challenging to manage over time. Even when families have the best intentions, they may not have the time to provide the care their elderly loved ones need and deserve. If your loved one needs help for a few hours a day or a few days a week, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a trusted provider of respite care Edmonton seniors can depend on.
Talk about At-Home Assistance
Some challenges are still difficult for seniors to manage on their own. A home caregiver provides just the right amount of help to keep a senior from getting frustrated. Caregivers can help seniors stay on top of their exercise routines by giving them more confidence as they go on walks. A caregiver can also provide medication reminders and assistance with meal planning and preparation so your loved one finds it easier to manage his or her health needs.
Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of homecare services. Edmonton families can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide individualized care plans to meet your elderly loved one’s unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia. If your loved one needs help with the challenges of aging, call one of our compassionate Care Managers today at (780) 490-7337.