3 Tips For Caring For Your Senior Loved One
Posted on: 26 June 2023
As people age, they may no longer be able to care for themselves alone. Some seniors may even be unable to walk to the bathroom or cook their own meals. If you have an aging loved one who needs your support, check out these three tips to help keep them safe and happy.
1. Don't Neglect Preventative Care
Preventative care is always important, but for seniors, it can be incredibly important. As you get older, your risk of many complications increases, including:
- Cancer
- Osteoarthritis
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type II Diabetes
Even in young patients, these conditions can be life-threatening or life-altering, but some seniors may have a harder time fighting or coping with their condition.
Luckily, with regular preventative care, you and your loved one's doctor better monitor their health. For example, if routine tests show that your loved one's bad cholesterol keeps rising, their doctor can offer suggestions and treatments to fix the problem before it leads to a stroke or heart attack.
2. Make Necessary Safety Upgrades/Changes in the Home
If your loved one is staying at home or with you, you may need to make some changes to improve the safety inside the home. This may include installing rails in the house, including in the bathtub and by the toilet. Other bathroom upgrades may include:
- Raised toilet seats
- Commode
- Shower chair
- Walk-in shower
If the house has stairs, and your loved one can't walk or struggles with stairs, a stair lift may help. Depending on their needs, you may also want to install wheelchair ramps or lift chairs. Even if your loved one doesn't need any/many upgrades, make sure to remove any tripping hazards like rugs, and ensure there is plenty of light for visibility.
3. Monitor Their Mental Health
Everyone can develop mental health concerns, but seniors are often prone to depression and anxiety, especially if they have limited mobility or health issues. Other causes of declined mental health may include:
- Moving to a new home, such as a nursing home
- Losing their partner or another loved one
- Losing a pet
Poor mental health can impact your loved one's physical health, which can make them weaker or unable/uninterested in caring for themselves. In some cases, seniors may turn to self-medication like alcohol and drugs to cope with depression and anxiety.
If your loved one is aging and you're worried about their safety, it may be time to consider senior care options. With good attention and wellness plans, your loved one can thrive for many more years. If you would like to know more, start looking into senior wellness care today.
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