Things You Can Do To Make Life More Comfortable For The Elderly

Things You Can Do To Make Life More Comfortable For The Elderly : You lose the charm of living a fulfilling life when one is increasingly isolated and riddled with chronic illnesses. Did you know? Chronic pain, life-threatening diseases, and medications severely compromise life quality. In fact, seniors struggle with various health conditions and disruptive life changes that drastically compromise their life quality.

Imagine becoming increasingly dependent on others to perform basic chores after a lifetime of independence and control. It is debilitating and negatively impacts their self-esteem and ability to control and regulate their lives. As a result, many older adults struggling with depression eventually rely on family members to help ensure their safety.

We all want to take care of our elderly parents and grandparents and help them enjoy robust life quality. But managing all their chores and needs isn’t easy, as we all have our own domestic and work responsibilities. Therefore, we often struggle with the guilt of neglecting our parents when they need us the most.

We have some insightful advice to help you escape the guilt and create a rewarding lifestyle for your elderly relatives. So keep reading if you want to discover ways you can make their lives more comfortable and satisfying.

Explore Senior Living Communities

Seniors suffer the brunt of isolation and loneliness because they are essentially empty nesters with little support at home. Once they retire and their children move out, they find themselves with ample time and nothing to do. As a result, they struggle with social isolation and loneliness, contributing to depression, stress, and anxiety.

Homeownership in Sydney comes with multiple challenges, and many seniors struggle to manage their properties. Naturally, this increases the pressure for their children, who already are managing various responsibilities. Hence, exploring senior care facilities allows seniors to enjoy a passive rental income and superior life quality.

It’s wise to look into senior care communities to help them find a community of people within their age group. In addition, you can explore a wealth of quality centers for your loved ones to reduce isolation and encourage meaningful connections. For instance, if you live in Sydney, all you need is to search for aged care Sydney near me, and you will find plenty of valuable resources.

Admitting your elderly parents or grandparents into a senior care facility may seem cruel, but it’s a viable solution. It will end their loneliness and enhance their life quality with the support of a compassionate and caring community.

Depression and loss of human interaction often aggravate chronic illnesses, making seniors increasingly vulnerable. They hesitate to disturb their children and grandchildren and patiently wait for family members to engage with them. Most seniors also mourn the loss of their significant others, family members, and friends who may have passed away.

Senior care communities offer quality care to regulate their health and life quality and allow healthy social interactions. So you won’t have to feel guilty or bend over backward to make time for their errands and property maintenance.

Help them Combat depression

Did you know that seniors have a far greater risk for developing depression compared to younger and middle-aged adults? That’s right. More than 7 million people diagnosed with depression are above the age of 65.

Seniors are more vulnerable to depression and mental distress because of a series of stressful life events. These include chronic illnesses, recurrent pain, retirement, and the loss of a spouse or family member. In addition, seniors struggle with the prospect of death more vividly than people from younger age brackets.

Their lives are stressful and depressing, even though they are past the age of handling exhausting responsibilities. At times, certain chronic illnesses and the side effects of medications also contribute to depression and stress. Therefore, you must help them combat depression to restore and increase their life quality and mental wellbeing.

Bolster their Self-Esteem

Everyone wants to feel helpful, reliable, competent, needed, and valued. All humans thrive on the appreciation and applause they receive for their dedication, help, and contributions. Seniors feel increasingly reliant and dependent on others to perform essential life functions, such as visiting the bathroom and taking medications.

This reliance casts a disastrous impact on their self-esteem, self-image, and sense of self-worth. Moreover, these circumstances often aggravate their condition by making them vulnerable to stress and depression. Therefore, it’s essential to help seniors feel useful, needed, and helpful. The goal is to help them understand that they are not a burden but rather a blessing.

Seniors adore their grandchildren and love spending time with babies and toddlers. Therefore, delegate all your babysitting duties to your elderly parents and grandparents. As long as these duties don’t hinder their treatment or life quality, they will feel valuable and helpful. Seniors cherish nothing more than feeling useful and contributing to the upbringing of little ones.

You can also ask for their advice and help in matters you struggle with, such as financial planning and wealth management. You can also ask them to perform menial chores around the house, such as folding the laundry or organizing the mail. Finally, ask them to contribute to grocery shopping so they have a reason to venture outdoors and engage in social interactions.

Physical Activity & Exercise

Regular exercise and physical activity are instrumental in keeping our joints, muscles, and limbs functioning robustly—even low-intensity exercise aids in strengthening mobility and allowing a healthy balance.

Seniors struggling with heart complications and joint-related pains need regular exercise to maintain mobility. Gentle physical activity, even a short walk around the block, will help them maintain physical and mental wellbeing. In addition, exercise will boost immunity, regulate healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and ensure sleep quality.

Encourage Mental Stimulation

Seniors struggle to remain mentally active and often experience disruptive cognitive decline and memory-related issues. Therefore, it’s essential to help them get mental stimulation to stay cognitively engaged and energetic.

It doesn’t involve much effort. Just engage seniors with brain teasers, crossword puzzles, board games, reading and writing activities. You can gift them books and reading material that they enjoy and encourage them to read. Engaging them in children’s educational activities will also stimulate them mentally and make them feel needed.

You can also encourage them to join communities that play bingo, Sudoku, Mahjong, and other fun games. They will enjoy the community spirit and stay competitive with the lure to win prizes and play along with other players. An actively engaged and cognitively sharp mind is essential to regulate overall physical and mental wellbeing.

Involve them in Family Gatherings & Community Activities

Isolation, loneliness, and depression are far more debilitating than chronic illnesses and physical discomfort. Therefore, it’s essential to encourage and help seniors stay connected with their family, friends, and communities.

You can invite all their family members and friends to visit them and dine with them. Make a habit of regularly asking them to family dinners, birthday parties, graduations, and holiday festivities. It’s also essential to help them carve out an active role in community activities and church.

Conclusion

Persuading elderly parents or grandparents to take your advice isn’t easy. Seniors are a lot like children, and they hate when family members try to micro-manage their affairs. So, be patient and don’t force them to commit to activities they don’t enjoy. Companionship and social interactions are all they need to rejoice in good life quality.