There are many different reasons why your senior loved one may wish to remain at home. If they’ve been living in their house for years, it may be too hard to part with it. Not to mention that moving into a care facility feels as though they’re giving up their last bit of independence.
While your senior loved one may be adamant about remaining at home, you know that living alone as a senior can be challenging. As your elderly loved one’s primary caregiver, you want to make sure they’re not only happy at home, but safe too. Is it possible? With the help of these four tips, it most certainly is.
1. Equip Your Loved One with Some Helpful Gadgets
There’s no shortage of technology to help keep your senior loved one safe at home. Want to know what they’re up to? Discuss their level of comfort with either video surveillance or in-home sensors. While sensors maintain a bit more of your loved one’s privacy, both options will allow you to monitor their daily activities without having to call them multiple times throughout the day.
The best part? You can check on them or get notifications sent straight to your phone, allowing you to monitor your loved one’s safety from anywhere.
There are so many different technological options that could help keep your loved one safe in their home. Determine where your loved one needs the most help and do your research on the availability of technology that could improve their quality of life at home.
2. Consider a Home Reno
We’re not talking about re-doing your loved one’s kitchen, but we are talking about making the home more accessible. As people age, things like stairs and high cupboards become more difficult to manage. Adding ramps or lowering kitchen cupboards can make your loved one’s life that much easier. If you’re not comfortable doing the home renovations yourself, find an independent contractor who can get the job done for you.
3. Hire a Care Companion
If your senior loved one just isn’t ready to leave their home or give up their independence, but they still require a bit more extra help than you can manage, hiring a care companion is a great option for you and your family. Caregiver burnout is a major issue, and you need to ensure you’re taking care of yourself as well as your loved one.
In-home services can help take the extra stress off your mind when it comes to your loved one—did they take their medication? Did they complete their twenty minutes of daily exercise? Did they eat right today? You can rest easy knowing that someone else is monitoring your loved one’s health.
Senior care companions can also help your loved one with anything they might need.
Need groceries? A caregiver can help.
Assistance in the shower? A caregiver can help.
Your loved one’s caregiver will be there to help them improve their quality of life and live every day to the fullest.
4. Check in on Their Mental Health
Over 44 percent of Canadian seniors have been diagnosed with depression. If you are concerned that your loved one is showing signs of depression, talk to them. Initiating an open conversation may help you find out what’s going on. Encourage them to visit a healthcare professional.
If you’re still worried after your phone conversation, ensure you maintain frequent communication to track how they’re progressing. Frequent social interactions, healthy eating, and exercise can all help seniors battle depression and live a healthier and happier lifestyle.
