Simple Activities That Can Help Seniors Stay Strong
Keeping an older adult’s mind, body and social life active can prevent or even reverse frailty, and family caregivers assisting seniors are in a unique position to help them figure out what activities will work best.
According to Stephanie Studenski, M.D., M.P.H., one of the nation’s foremost authorities on mobility, balance disorders and falls in older adults, “A key is simple activities.
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Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - a great assisted living alternative in Dallas for seniors and elders. Call us today for help at 972-239-3934.
In numerous studies and polls, seniors have said that they would rather stay in their own homes than move into a senior residence. But for some seniors, even with home care services, it becomes necessary to make the hard decision to leave their home behind for a different option that will provide for their needs as they age. Assisted living facilities offer seniors the best of both worlds with the following services and benefits:
1. Living independently – seniors in ALFs are often in one-bedroom or studio apartment buildings, so they have the privacy and independence that they require
2. Safety is offered – ALF apartments anticipate the safety needs of seniors and ensure that they include grab bars, ramps and other essential safety devices. Supervisors are always available to respond to emergencies
3. Seniors don’t need to worry about home maintenance – cleaning services, including laundry can be provided by ALF
4. Activity of daily living services are offered – bathing, dressing, and medication reminders can be provided. There are also special facilities for those who suffer with Alzheimer’s and dementia and designated services
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - a great assisted living alternative in Dallas for seniors and elders. Call us today for help at 972-239-3934.
The kids have left home, you’re surrounded by silence, and you feel like you have no purpose and nothing to fill your day. It’s called empty nest syndrome and is common amongst older adults who for the first time in their lives, no longer have their children living under their roof. Empty nesters can run a gamut of emotions, and can overcome empty nest syndrome with the following methods:
1. Take time to yourself – while your life might have been about everyone else previously while caring for children, a spouse and a household, as an empty nester, appreciate and take advantage of the quiet. Enjoy the time you have to yourself instead of allowing it to remind you what you no longer have
2. Make new connections – finding yourself with an empty nest can feel lonely, so fill the void by reconnecting with family members and friends, and making new ones by joining social groups and activities available in Dallas
3. Renew marriage vows – it might feel like your life has been all about the children for decades, but reconnect with your loved one and renew your vows to remind each other what brought you together in the first place!
4. Do something meaningful – being a parent is one of the most meaningful jobs , and finding a way to fill that void after the children have left home is a challenge. Do something else that makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something important; volunteer somewhere you can make a difference!
5. Get out there – with new found time on your hands, achieve the things you never had time to in the past. You can travel or take on a new hobby.
Decades ago, you might have pictured your retirement as a time when you were going to move from your suburban home to a retirement community full of seniors. But today, you realize that you don’t want to give up your roots in the community and would prefer to remain in your suburban home. Other seniors, like you, want to remain in their own homes in older adulthood, and with these tips on how to survive suburbia as a senior, you can make it happen!
1. Address financial restraints – consider a reverse mortgage to fund any additional financial needs of the home like maintenance, renovations, or any remaining amount on a mortgage loan
2. Make the home safe – suburban homes aren’t necessarily designed for senior living. They are often 2 stories, and are not compatible with those who need to use wheel chairs or other assistive devices. To make the home accessible and safe, install safety bars and hand-rails, improve the lighting in the home, and have ramps or other assistive devices incorporated into the home as needed
3. Get help – for older adults, keeping up with the routine maintenance of a home can be challenging, but that doesn’t need to be a reason to give it up. Hire services to clean and keep up with the yard work, or get an in-home caregiver to cook and provide basic assistance with other tasks as needed
4. Look into transportation – walking to get to shops and other areas in the suburbs may not be convenient. Seniors who don’t drive can use transportation services available, or hire a caregiver that can help them get around
