How to Help Your Elderly Relative Have a Good Quality of Life
As we get older, our quality of life can start to drop due to issues such as our health and loneliness. To help your elderly relative to have the best life possible throughout their retirement, here are some top tips to boost their quality of life and ensure that they remain part of the family.
Make Adjustments in Their Home
One of the top factors that can stop older people from having a good quality of life is that they are unable to feel comfortable in their own home. To ensure that daily tasks are less of a struggle for seniors, and that they can stay independent for longer, you should consider making adjustments to their home. This can include installing features such as handrails, ramps, shower grips, and stairlifts to suit their physical ability. You should also invest in products such as ergonomic kitchen accessories to aid those with joint problems.
Hire a Home Help
To help elderly relatives who are struggling to live independently but who still want to remain in their own home, you should consider hiring a home help who can aid them in completing normal daily tasks, such as cooking and washing. This can be extremely helpful if you have a busy schedule that prevents you from caring for them on a regular basis. Bluebird Care can help you to find high-quality home help in Tamworth; allowing your loved one to stay in control of their life for longer.
Help Them With Transport
As every driver over the age of 70 needs to renew their licence every 3 years, this has left many elderly people unable to drive, meaning that they are much more likely to lose their independence and ability to leave the house. If there are not good public transport links in your area, you should offer to provide a lift or help them to arrange transport, as the UK provides many transport services for older people.
Arrange Visits or Invite Them Out
Half a million older people in the UK are lonely for many reasons, including the loss of a partner or their relatives moving away. To prevent older people from becoming lonely, try to include them in family meet-ups and activities, inviting them to join you as often as possible. If they are not well enough to come with you, you should arrange visits to their home, creating a regular schedule with your relatives to ensure that they are not on their own for more than a couple of days a week. If you are unable to do this yourself, you should encourage them to find social groups to join, such as coffee mornings for older people, or clubs that suit their interests.
Keep Them Mentally and Physically Active
Keeping your relative mentally and physically active is key to preventing, and helping them to cope with, chronic conditions, such as heart disease, as well as ensuring that they maintain good mental health. Even if they cannot commit to vigorous exercise regimes, you should try to find exercise classes for them, or encourage them to take up some of the best activities for older people, such as weight-bearing and balance exercises.
