Many elderly adults can live independently in their own home and take care of themselves well. However, many seniors reach a point where they are no longer able to complete the routine duties and responsibilities of maintaining a home and a healthy life. Whether it is due to physical limitations or diminishing cognitive ability, many seniors find basic tasks overwhelming. Family caregivers sometimes take for granted that their elderly loved ones are taking care of things and don’t consider the possibilities that they really need some help. Everyday needs would include all the things that elderly adults can do for themselves to ensure they are safe, healthy and happy. Here are just a few of the areas that often present a challenge to the elderly:
Self-Care
Hygiene and grooming can be difficult for elderly adults, especially bathing and showering. Getting dressed often presents another challenge. With age, the body isn’t as flexible as it once was, and balance also suffers. Slip and fall accidents are common as elderly adults maneuver around the bathroom.
Mobility
Stiff joints, low muscle mass and balance problems are classic signs of age, and all this affects a person’s mobility. Many seniors have to transition to cane, walker, wheelchair or motorized mobility chair. They may also need help in getting in and out of a car, a bed or a chair.
Food and Nutrition
To be their healthiest, elderly adults need to partake of daily meals that are nutritious. Many seniors struggle to get fresh food and to prepare it as well. They often experience many impediments to eating, from swallowing issues and problems with dentures to a reduction in appetite.
Transportation
All too often, an elderly person becomes restricted from driving. This represents a real loss of independence and that can cause a lot of hard feelings in seniors. If they can no longer drive, it’s a challenge for them to get to things like social events, doctor appointments and grocery shopping. Seniors that no longer drive also tend to suffer from isolation and loneliness, too.
Medication
More than ever before, elderly adults need good medical care in their later years. Not only do they need regular doctor's visits, but also dental care, eye care, and sometime mental health care. Surgeries, chronic illnesses, sudden diseases and more require extra attention and sometimes extra services like physical therapy.
Many families are turning to home care agencies to provide trained assistants to come to the elderly person’s home and help. These in-home assistants can bridge the gap where elderly adults can no longer do some things but are not ready for a long-term facility. Home care aides are also a wonderful support for family caregivers that need some help in balancing the needs of their aging relative with their own lives. The goal is to keep their aging relative as independent as possible, yet giving them the assistance they need to get through the day. A home care assistant can work with elderly adults to help them achieve the highest standard of living that is possible.
Source:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2014/10/08/nearly-half-of-all-seniors-need-help-with-daily-activities-far-more-than-we-thought/#306c4a6c5692
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Palm City, FL, contact the caring staff at BrightStar Care of Jupiter. Call today (561) 741-1200.