Your loved ones are people you want to look after, and as they get older, you might become responsible for their health, safety, and well-being in general. Whether it’s a sibling, a parent, or even a child, aging loved ones are those you want to prioritize when you can, for the benefit of their safety.
Typically, many will find themselves being the caregiver to their parents or to elderly relatives like grandparents. Knowing how to support aging loved ones while still making sure you and your elderly loved ones have independence is improtant.
With that being said, here are ten ways to support aging loved ones to keep them safe.
1. Create a safe environment in their home
A safe environment is something that your aging loved ones will be comfortable in, and for you as their caregiver or person concerned, will provide peace of mind that they’re safe in their own space.
Look at what the environment of their home looks like currently. You may notice one or two things that need addressing to provide the comfort and safety that your loved ones require.
For example, it might be a case of installing ramps out of the front and back door for easy accessibility into the property. It might be adding a stairlift in order to make climbing the stairs easier, should their mobility be compromised.
2. Have a care plan in place for the future
A care plan is helpful to put in place when they’re of sound mind and they can make their own decisions about the care they’d like to receive in the coming years.
When they’re of sound mind, this is the best time to figure out what they want, should they ever find themselves in a position where they’re no longer able to care for themselves. For example, would they like to be in a senior housing placement, or do they want to have a live-in care assistant?
3. These are often tough questions to ask someone who is still sprightly in mind and body. However, it’s smart and wise to discuss these before it’s too late.
As a caregiver, whatever level of help you can give is important. It can often be hard to know what help you can provide, especially if you live far away from your loved ones.
However, any amount of care that you can provide from near or afar will surely be appreciated. After all, you have your own life to live, and while some can give up their jobs to be a full-time caregiver, others aren’t able to do so, especially when supporting their own families financially.
Consider what help you could give to your loved ones as they age, and when you need additional support, that’s where the professionals can come in.
4. Consider professional help
Professional help might be something that you can consider when it comes to supporting your loved ones. For those who live far away or just can’t manage the sheer volume of time and effort that needs to be dedicated to a loved one’s health, it’s useful to think about what professional help is out there.
From those who can live-in with the loved one, to putting them in a home for round-the-clock support. Some of these solutions can be hard to consider and even harder to commit to, but when it comes to professional care, it’s the best solution when no one else in the family or loved ones’ circle can provide what the individual needs.
5. Prepare for emergencies with mobility aids
When you’ve got loved ones who are aging and elderly, there’s often that fear in the back of your mind that, what if something went wrong? What if they fell and hurt themselves? Would they be able to alert neighbors, you, or the medical authorities?
If the answer is no, then you might want to think about the use of mobility aids. These are helpful for providing support should your loved one end up hurt and needing medical aid fast.
From wearable mobility aids to having apps on their phone, or buttons located around the house. Preparing for these emergencies is often a part and parcel of supporting those who are getting older and not any younger in their physical well-being.
6. Educate your elderly relatives on safety
Education is important when it comes to safety, and it’s something that you definitely want to think about when it comes to keeping your loved ones safe.
While you might like to think that your elderly know everything about the world, the reality is that they probably don’t. Not only that, but often they’re younger in their mind than they are in body, which means they’re likely to take more risks that could injure them severely as a result.
As you get older, injuries that you sustain from tripping over or falling can be life-threatening to those who might be fragile and not as fit as they once were. Look at the ways in which you can educate your elderly loved ones, but without being rude or condescending.
7. Always communicate with them
Communication is always important, especially if they live further away than you are able to reach them via car or transport.
With regular communication, you can keep an eye on what they’re getting up to and ensure that they’re staying safe. If you’re not having much communication with them, then you have no idea if they’re ok or not.
With that being said, think about how you could communicate with your loved ones more regularly. It could be giving them a phone call in the morning or in the evening before they go to bed.
This could be a video call or just a simple text. Any way that you can communicate is helpful for keeping in the loop with how they are.
8. Keep them active and engaged with activities
Activities are a great way to help keep your older loved ones’ energies at peak levels. You also want to be able to provide them with plenty of activities that cater to both their mind and bodies.
With that being said, consider what activities might be fun to do with your loved ones so that they’re keeping active. Whether it’s walking to a local park or taking some time out to play a board game with them at their home. Every little thing can do wonders for the benefit of their mind and body as they get older.
9. Encourage their independence where possible
Independence is something you want to encourage because the longer they stay independent, the more they’re going to get out of life, and the longer they’ll live as a result, most likely.
Try to find ways to help them with their independence so that they can live comfortably in their own home. From providing them with weekly shops to their door, to helping them out with managing their finances and any bills that they might need to address.
10. Don’t forget to take care of yourself
After all this, you want to make sure that as a caregiver of any kind, you’re looking after yourself. You can’t expect to give to others when you’re not prioritizing your own health and wellness. Make sure to take time for yourself and do things that bring you joy and happiness.
These tips will surely help your loved ones as they age, providing them with a wonderful life in their golden years.
