4 Ways You Can Help Improve a Senior’s Quality Of Life

Aging is associated with gradual but huge lifestyle changes that people are mostly unprepared for. Although medical advancements in recent years have increased the average life span, unfortunately, our social setup is failing to keep up. The result is that people reach their twilight years but struggle to live a fulfilling old age. Without adequate help, the elderly often go through trial and error to find means of improving the quality of their life. It is necessary to give them a helping hand when the time arrives and enable them to cruise through their late life smoothly. Here are ways in which you can help improve a senior’s quality of life.   

Recognize and Treat the Signs of Depression:

It is common for the elderly community to fall prey to depression as they move past their midlife. The time after retirement might not turn out to be as expected, and a decreased sense of purpose might cause one to doubt self-esteem. On top of that, physical ailments and a frailing body do not help matters. It is more problematic if the disease is potentially fatal, and breaking ties with hope becomes unavoidable without help. For instance, mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer that develops in the chest or abdomen, usually surfaces in late life due to its extended incubation period of 20 to 50 years. 

If an elder around you is a retired veteran or has worked in a construction company that exposed them to asbestos, mesothelioma likely haunts their old age. If that is the case with any senior member around you, do not let them wallow in depression. You can start by exploring mesotheliomahope.com to learn more about this illness, its types, stages, and what to do next if your grandparents or any other close one has developed it. With a better understanding of what you are dealing with, you will be in a better position to guide elderly patients and help them out of the dark pit. 

Make Necessary Home Adjustments:

Home is the epitome of comfort in our lives. However, ensure that your home is as comfy for your elderly family members as for anyone else. Due to their frailing body and mobility issues, your definition of comfort might not fit theirs. Try to make adjustments in your home to ensure the elders do not have to exhaust and exert themselves to complete day-to-day tasks. Keep items of everyday use within reach and arrange furniture to make navigation easy. Also, consider switching the flooring to something less slippery to provide a good grip. Designate a room for them that has easy access to all other rooms in the house, such as the kitchen and living room. Check the lights to ensure they are bright enough, install ramps for wheelchairs, and remove extra clutter lying around. 

Along with necessary amendments to make the home comfortable, try to minimize the potential hazards. Install handrails in the bathrooms for support to avoid falls. Place non-skid mats for slippery areas in the house, such as in the shower or bathtub. Ensure that cables and wires are not hanging or lying around and tuck them away safely. Also, do not forget to install the smoke detector and fire alarm. By rearranging the home to meet the needs of a senior family member, you are saving them much trouble and providing them with the fundamentals of comfortable living.

Provide Nutritious Meals:

Reaching midlife and beyond means an increased reliance on nutritious meals to keep up with health, boost mental sharpness, and avoid age-related diseases. Along with keeping the body healthy, a balanced diet also means being balanced emotionally. However, aging people might not retain the ability to cook well and may also lose the desire to do so. In such a case, the responsibility is on your shoulders to ensure they are well-fed. Visit them often to monitor their daily diet, cook healthy meals with low-calorie and high protein, and restock their kitchen with food supplies. If you can not do that daily, prepare the meals in advance for a few days. While doing so, remember to accommodate special needs like diabetes and hypertension that will require prevention from certain kinds of foods.

According to this dentist who does dental implants in Jefferson City, it’s best to consult their doctors about the best meals for their health situation.

Give Them a Sense of Purpose:

It is necessary to have something to hold on into life. A combination of family, a strong career, and an intricate social network seem to be a recipe for a great life. However, even those who can check off these things from their list would likely feel something missing. 

Having a sense of purpose is crucial for moving forward in life, setting priorities, and being resilient to the setbacks and tragedies life throws at us. From a broad perspective, a strong sense of purpose means improved health and well-being across all stages of life. Unfortunately, aging often loosens the grip on it and the motivation that comes from it to lead a meaningful life. 

After providing for the family for years, raising children, and being the hub of their lives, the situation might not be the same. The kids leave the family home, and parents struggle to find a new focus in life with empty nest syndrome that follows. Also, past regrets and unrealistic goals diminish the purpose in life.

To increase the quality of life, try to find a sense of purpose for the seniors around you. Involve them in making household decisions, take their opinion on crucial matters, and engage them in social welfare activities. Making a difference in someone’s life will give them a strong sense of self-esteem and usefulness. Having such healthy activities to catch up on will develop and maintain a routine to look forward to daily.  

Conclusion:

As we continue to grow up, our lifestyle and responsibilities demand more and more of us. While bustling in our busy lives, another group of our community is making fast strides toward their old age. There soon comes a time when they need a helping hand. When the need arises, ensure to treat them with love and patience. You might not be used to it, and the adjustment may be stressful. However, it is necessary to remember that it is not easy for your loved ones and other community seniors to lose their independence too. It is also an ethical responsibility to return the favors they showered on our dependency days and paved our way to success.