How to Help Seniors Live Their Best Lives

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No one wants to get old, but it’s usually better than the alternative! Being aware of your physical and mental strength throughout your life can keep you fitter and independent longer into old age. However, many people need extra support eventually. Helping senior members of your family find the right place to live in their later years is one of the most important responsibilities that you can shoulder. So what should you look for when you need great senior care?

People age physically at different rates; some people still ride around on bicycles in their 90s while others start to need extra support decades earlier. If your senior relative is still living in their own home, they will probably want to stay there for as long as possible. However, they may begin to have problems driving or carrying heavy shopping that start to affect their quality of life. Cleaning and maintaining their property may be too difficult for them. If another member of the family lives nearby, they could pick up some of these chores and help out. Alternatively, could your relative employ someone to clean their home regularly, and maybe pay a local tradesperson to do those pesky maintenance and gardening jobs for them? There are plenty of agencies around who will come into the home to help with cooking meals and personal care like hair washing. A  few interventions like this with trustworthy helpers could allow your relative to maintain their independence in their own home for a few more years.

If this level of assistance is no longer sufficient, then you and your senior relative may start looking around for a place in a senior living community. Although not suitable for people with a high level of disability or requirement for serious nursing care,  senior living communities offer gated care and onsite recreational and healthcare facilities. Residents feel more secure and are free from worries about getting to appointments, maintaining their property, finding their way to meet friends, etc. Everything is onsite, and there will be lots of people of a similar age and interests for companionship. Loneliness and isolation will not be a problem! Maintaining social contacts is critical in later life as the stimulation helps to preserve the mental faculties. A senior living community could provide your relative with excellent quality of life for many years.

If your relative begins to need more nursing care, then an assisted living facility with 24-hour nursing may be the best place for them to be. This supervised environment is also more appropriate for seniors who have dementia or Alzheimers than other types of living environments. It would be best if you look around as many facilities as possible.  Assisted living is an expensive option, and you have to make the very best choice for your senior person. However, the most costly place is not necessarily the best. Excellent nursing care is non-negotiable, but kindness and good humor,  attention to individual residents’ requirements,  good food, and enrichment activities are also essential.

Thank you for reading!