When you have elderly relatives, you’ll understandably want to help out to ensure they can live as independently as possible for as long as possible. The good news is there are lots of ways you can make sure your elderly relatives are keeping healthy at home.
To help, you’ll discover below just some of the ways you can encourage the senior in your life to stay active and healthy.
Get Them More Involved In Local Activities
Research has shown that regular activity in old age is crucial for preventing the risk of a heart attack, obesity and even early death. The more active seniors are, the more independent they’ll be able to live, and the fewer struggles they’ll face with day-to-day living.
Local activities and groups are a great way to encourage elderly relatives to get out more. No matter where you live, there’s bound to be numerous groups available for seniors. This isn’t just great for keeping them active, but it can also help to prevent them from feeling isolated and lonely.
Ensure They Take Their Medications
As you get older, it’s easy to forget to take medications. The trouble is, when we are older, we typically need to take more medications in order to keep us healthy. So, you’ll want to come up with solutions to ensure your elderly relative is taking their medications as they should.
You can buy pill storage boxes, which can be pre-filled for each day, Monday-Friday. These are great at helping you to see whether any days have been missed. You could also set reminders on their phone to help alert them to when they need to take the medication.
Identify And Remove Tripping Hazards
The risk of falls increases significantly as we age. Therefore, it’s a good idea to go through your relatives’ home and assess any potential tripping hazards. Look out for any loose carpets and wires and cables, which could prove problematic. Night lights could also be installed in hallways and grab rails could be installed just in case.
Promoting Independence
As mentioned earlier, getting your relative out and about is going to prove vital to their health. However, they may struggle if they have mobility issues. That’s where mobility aids come in useful. Getting them a mobility scooter from companies like Mobility Solutions for example, will help to get them out of the house and promote more independent living.
Overall, it’s understandable to worry about your elderly relatives. However, as you can see above, there are plenty of ways you can ensure they’re staying healthy and happy. Checking up on them regularly is also going to help and you may also find it useful to create a calendar or schedule that they can follow to remind them of important appointments.
*collaborative post