If you have a senior relative, keep in mind that they likely helped care for you, growing up. Therefore, you may want to pay the debt of gratitude by helping to make their lives more comfortable as they retire. Help them to enjoy their life as an older adult, free from stress and worry. Here are some ways you can improve the quality of life of your senior.
Use Technology
Technology can be of great assistance to seniors, even if they may initially disagree with the idea of using gadgets and tech. For instance, intercoms, alert systems, and heart monitors can be a great help to elderly adults, and having them available would be a wise move. You can even encourage you elderly relative to get a phone or tablet. While it may take some time to teach them how to use the gadget, when they do learn, they can contact you whenever they want, decreasing feelings of isolation, and they can also enjoy fun games to pass the time.
Home Upgrades
Agility and mobility tend to diminish as a person gets older. The elderly may find it harder to navigate around the home. It would be best if you upgraded your home to make it more comfortable for them. For instance, you can install support bars or get more elderly-friendly fixtures and furniture so they can do home activities with greater ease. You could also install a walk-in tub so they can enjoy a safer, more comfortable bath.
Create Routines
Since most seniors are retired, they often become bored and do not know what to do with their time. Because of this, they can feel depressed, which is why you should create a routine for them to follow. Encourage them to wake up at the same time every day, then get ready for the day and create a bedtime ritual. You can also have certain activities that they can look forward to throughout the week. For instance, you can all go to the grocery together on Wednesdays and have a family outing every Sunday.
Create Goals
A lot of seniors may feel like they are not helpful because they are not working towards something, which could heighten depression. A great way to combat such feelings is to create goals for them to complete. While the goals do not have to be huge, you can make small and regular ones for them to work toward. Set small daily goals, such as finishing a craft project or doing 15-30 minutes of light exercise. Make it fun by using their hobby as a part of their goal— for instance, help them master their favorite cookie recipe (it would benefit you, too), or have book reading discussions by their favorite author with them.
Mental and Physical Fitness
As we get older, it is easy to let ourselves go, but you should encourage your senior to stay physically and mentally fit. It will make them feel physically better while putting them in a better mood. Plus, it will strengthen their immune system! You can encourage them to stay mentally fit by doing puzzles or reading more. You can enroll them in fun classes such as Zumba for seniors to keep them physically fit.
If you want to help your seniors enjoy their life, the tips above will definitely help you see to that.
