As you age, you may gradually lose the ability to move around freely or easily. This can be painful and frustrating for people who may have spent their entire lives being self-sufficient.
It could happen to anyone, and once the damage is done there isn't much you can do to reverse it. Nonetheless, some things can make life easier and give back a sense of freedom to those otherwise trapped by their own body by limited mobility. What can you do if you see a loved one is starting to deteriorate, and what can you do to help them age at home?
How To Help People With Limited Mobility
Helping older people with limited mobility can be difficult, so one of the best ways to help them is to make their environment as accessible as possible. Moving from an inaccessible environment to an accessible one can significantly improve their quality of life. Furthermore, investing in things like a mid-size mobility scooter or walking frame may enable them to go outside and regain their freedom. By giving a person with limited mobility the equipment to get out and about on their own, you can help boost their mental well-being enormously.
Tips For Helping Your Loved Ones
The best way to help older people with limited mobility is to make their living environment more accessible. You can accomplish this by removing any obstacles they may encounter when moving around, such as a misplaced chair or a rug. Aside from mobility, you'll need to think about everything from emergency contact to how they can maintain personal hygiene with dignity.
Get Them A Mobility Scooter
The introduction of a mobility scooter is beneficial for people who are unable to walk, as they can help people get around fast and efficiently. The main advantage of a mobility scooter is that they give a person with limited mobility the chance to live everyday life without having to always rely on others. Although many people may be happy to help, people who have been independent their entire lives may not take well to relying on others.
A scooter may allow them to move around with more freedom and independence, with few limitations on where they can go. If you can find a high-quality scooter at the right price, you may see a renewed sense of joy in your loved one.
Encourage Them To Move As Much As Possible
When someone reaches a certain age, one of the worst things they can do is stop exercising altogether. To do so may lead to a rapid decline in their physical health. As such it is in everybody's interest that they find a way to get up and move as much as possible. If you don't know where to start, you can usually find excellent exercise guides for seniors online. They include helpful exercises and motivational techniques to help keep them motivated.
Make Their Home More Accessible
Making the house of a person with limited mobility more accessible for them to move around in should be high on your list of priorities. Getting their home into shape will not only allow them to use it more efficiently, but may reduce the chances of injury or mishap. Some things you can consider includes:
- Attach handrails - The humble handrail is often the most overlooked home improvement that you can do. It gives people with limited mobility something to hold onto to allow them to move around, or grab if they are about to fall. In some cases, this may be the difference between a wrenched arm or a broken pelvis.
- Install ramps - Ramps are a great way to ease the flow of movement around the house. By placing items in locations that have raised floors or steps, you will dramatically improve mobility.
- Install a stairlift - in addition to installing ramps, installing a stairlift can open up the entire top floor of a multiple story house. Many individuals with limited mobility struggle with stairs, so a lift may be a blessing for them.
- Widen door frames - as people lose mobility, spatial awareness tends to decrease alongside it, leading to people bumping into door frames. Widening the frames may allow greater access into and out of each room. If the person is using a mobility scooter indoors, this extra space will be necessary.
- Walk-in bathtubs/ sitting showers - these are two fantastic options that allow your loved ones to wash without assistance. It may be a huge cause of embarrassment and shame if they need help to get into the bath, and these easy-access tubs make it possible for a person with limited mobility to do it alone. You should also install numeros handrails around the bathroom, and may wish to consider replacing the tiles with anti-slip ones.
- Remove general clutter - You will reduce the chances of a fall or trip by removing any necessary clutter from the house.
Hire Outside Help
Almost everyone would prefer living in their own home to living in a nursing home as they age. It might not be possible for you to help as much as you'd like if you're working full-time and have young children to look after, so it could be a good idea to hire outside help. THese helpers typically visita few times a week at prearranged times to help do the laundry, clean up the place, and generally provide company for your loved one.
Set Up An Emergency Contact System
These services provide emergency necklaces and buttons around the home that call for immediate assistance if pressed.. For example, if they fall and cannot reach a phone, they can press the button around their neck and instantly connect to a call center that will send an ambulance to their location.
Aging is inevitable, and for an older person to live as independently as possible, some changes need to be made. This can range from investing in mobility equipment to staying active. In most cases, it will be a combination of those things plus some form of home renovation to make it easier to move around.