Our life goes in a cycle. When we are born, we are not able to do simple tasks on our own and need help to eat, walk and even go to the washroom. Then we begin to get old and take control of our lives, and then when we hit seniority, we are again back to square one and are unable to do simple tasks due to physical limitations. This is when we need help and we typically turn to our loved ones for the support we need.
According to a survey, it came to be known that around 75% of adults do not engage in an in-depth conversation with their parents about their living arrangements at the time of retirement. Many also shy away from discussing their parents’ future or talking about their long-term care services that they might need.
Life surprises everyone. You can’t possibly know what tomorrow holds. Therefore, you need to take special care of elderly people in your house or society.
Here are 5 things you can do to care for the elderly:
1. Make Them Feel Comfortable At Home
You can make certain changes in the house to make life easy for the elderly. As we know, some seniors have a tough time walking on their own. They require support as they walk. It will be better if you install rails along the walls of the bathrooms, hall, kitchen and their rooms. Doing this will help them a great deal as they won’t have a slip and fall accident inside the house.
Make a separate shelf in the kitchen for them. Make sure the shelf is lowered so they can easily access the items. Fill this shelf with stuff they eat so that they won’t sit hungry when there’s no one in the home.
Keep the house clean as much as you can. If you have kids in the house, make sure they play in their own rooms and avoid making clutter in the entire house. You should also ask the other family members to care for the elderly and make them feel at home.
2. Install Extra Lights In The House
Install extra lights in the house to brighten the vision at night time. This is because we begin to lose our eyesight as we age, and a number of seniors cannot see clearly. Having proper lighting will enable seniors to do their tasks on their own without needing any assistance.
3. Don’t Let Them Feel Lonely
According to reports, loneliness is one of the top five problems most retired people face. They either live away from their loved ones, or have no one close to them which makes them feel lonely. You must make sure to rise up to the occasion and let people know you are there.
If you cannot physically be present or close to them, then at least make good use of technology and give them a call regularly. It is all about making people realize you have their back.
If you live in the same house, then take out some time to sit with the elderly. Arranging small activities and exercising sessions in the garden area will also help them cope with their loneliness as it will make them feel that they’re not alone and there’s always someone who cares for them.
4. Hire An Aged Care Provider
The number of open caregiver jobs is on a constant rise due to the increase in demand for caregivers. We live in a world where everyone is busy, and a person cannot be around at all times to take care of the elderly. This becomes a major problem when you do not have many people in the house. In such a situation, your best bet is to get external help.
You can hire a care provider professional for the elder people in your home. However, make sure to pick the right person for the job as you need someone who would take actual care of the person and not just be around.
5. Look After Their Comfort In All Seasons
Elderly people are prone to cold as well as hot weather. Their immune system is weaker, therefore, you need to make sure you look after the temperature in the house to ensure their good health. Installing a heater and an air conditioner in their room will do the trick.
Besides that, you need to take care of their appetite, their medicines and take them to routine checkups to hospitals.
Doing these five things will help the elderly people in your life be more comfortable. At the same time, it will give you more peace of mind knowing they are getting the care they need.
Photo/Pixabay
The post 5 Things You Can Do to Care for the Elderly appeared first on The Good Men Project.
(via The Good Men Project)
