Aging adults often encounter challenges as they move through the later stages of their lives. An individualized care plan is important to meet all of a senior’s needs, but knowing about the most common challenges your loved one could face helps you start putting together a list of things to do. Older adults often find they need help with these five things as their abilities change.
1. Mobility Challenges
Seniors with mobility issues can find just about every part of their daily routines challenging. Your loved one might not be able to reach certain items from a wheelchair, or he or she may need help navigating curbs and other obstacles when taking a walk outside. Ask your loved one if he or she encounters issues with mobility so you can find solutions. For instance, you might need to place a ramp over a set of porch stairs your loved one has difficulty navigating.
Montgomery elderly home care experts are available to provide high-quality care to seniors on an as-needed basis. From assistance with mobility and exercise to providing transportation to the doctor’s office and social events, there are a variety of ways professional caregivers can help your aging loved one continue to live independently.
2. Incontinence Care
Older adults might not talk about their issues with incontinence. Let your loved one know this issue shouldn’t be a source of embarrassment that keeps him or her from living his or her best life. If your loved one prefers not to have a family member help, have a professional caregiver step in. Many older adults find that receiving help from someone outside of the family provides a greater sense of dignity. Incontinence care can also prevent health issues such as skin rashes.
If you’re the primary family caregiver for a senior loved one living in Montgomery, live-in care is available if your loved one’s health has become too difficult to manage without professional expertise. At Home Care Assistance, we take measures to help seniors prevent illness and injury by assisting with exercise and mobility, preparing nutritious meals, helping with bathing and other personal hygiene tasks, and much more.
3. Grocery Shopping
The process of going to the grocery store involves multiple steps, all of which might pose challenges. Your loved one might have difficulty with budgeting if he or she has cognitive impairment, or he or she may be unable to carry heavy bags of groceries. Having someone do the grocery shopping for your loved one can prevent injuries, and your parent will always have a pantry stocked with healthy meal options.
4. Transportation
Your loved one might not be able to drive safely as he or she gets older. Vision and hearing issues are common reasons for seniors to need to put away their car keys, but aging adults might also have challenges with their reflexes. The majority of seniors eventually need assistance with transportation. A professional caregiver can take your loved one to medical appointments and social events.
5. Motivation to Stay Healthy
All these challenges can add up to some serious frustration. Seniors may begin to wonder if it’s worth getting up and getting dressed each day when they encounter issues that require help. Seniors who have caregivers helping out with these issues are more likely to wake up with a refreshed outlook on life that helps them continue to take care of themselves. You or your loved one’s home caregiver can cheerfully suggest taking a walk or planning a delicious and nutritious meal. Having other people make fun suggestions can help older adults want to continue to do healthy things each day.
Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of senior care. You can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide individualized care plans to meet your elderly loved one’s unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia. Home Care Assistance can be your trusted partner when your loved one needs help with the challenges of aging. Call us today at (334) 593-3988 to learn about our high-quality in-home care services.