According to a recent study, 62.5% of adults are worried about aging, especially the idea of no longer being able to care for themselves properly.
However, the truth is, aging does not have to be worrisome, especially when you put plans in place to support yourself or those close to you. After all, doing so will allow you/them to age in place, living independently for as long as possible.
With that in mind, here are some simple steps that you can take to help a parent or loved one age in place.
Making adjustments around their home.
As we get older, our bodies change. Being able to make adjustments around the home to accommodate this will make aging in place as easy as possible. For example, this could include placing handrails at strategic places throughout the home, such as in the bathroom or beside their bed, so that they can move around easily without slipping and falling.
If they live in a home that isn’t great in terms of accessibility, you may want to suggest that they move to a more suitable space.
Find a home care provider you can trust.
Wanting to age in place does not mean your loved one would turn down some extra help around the home, especially if they’re finding it hard to complete day-to-day tasks, such as staying on top of their medication and bathing. This can be remedied by reaching out to local home care providers, who can provide them with essential support several times a day (or as often as needed).
Prepare their meals for them.
Preparing meals in advance is a great way to support a loved one hoping to age in place. This is because it reduces their daily responsibilities while ensuring they continue to follow a healthy, balanced diet (something which 90% of seniors fail to achieve). Furthermore, this does not necessarily need to take up too much of your own time. After all, you can simply start preparing an additional portion each time you prepare a meal before freezing it. You can then drop it off at your parents’ home for them to heat up whenever they’re ready to eat.
Check in every day.
Loneliness is a major issue for seniors, and it can contribute to the development or onset of a range of health complications, including dementia. As such, checking in on a regular basis is key to ensuring they’re able to age in place. Otherwise, these feelings of isolation will only worsen. Remember, you can always pick up the phone if you’re unable to visit in person. You should also encourage them to find other ways to socialise, such as by joining a local group or community, so that they have a large and robust social network to rely on moving forward.
Final thoughts.
In short, there are many steps that you can take to help your parents age in place and make the most of their golden years.
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