We all want the best for elderly relatives in our family, so it’s important to regularly consider if there are ways in which you can improve their wellbeing and lifestyle. Whether they’re struggling with isolation or need help with mobility and tasks around their home, there are a number of ways you can help to support them. In this article, we’ll cover some of the best ways you can help.
Help Improve Their Socialisation
An essential need for anyone is to have access to socialisation, but this can become increasingly difficult for the elderly and those with reduced mobility. A key way to help boost their wellbeing and support their mental health is by finding ways to help them socialise more and meet new people. This could be by finding out about local groups they could join and helping them to get there. Consider their interests and hobbies to help you find the right group for them. For example, perhaps they would enjoy a local crafts group or taking part in tournaments. Using wheelchair accessible vehicle hire is a great way to increase the opportunity for socialisation if an individual struggles with their mobility or doesn’t have a wheelchair accessible vehicles themselves.
Attending Counselling Sessions
If you feel an elderly relative is struggling with their mental health, then helping them to access mental health support can be invaluable. Working with a trained counsellor can help them work through mental health problems such as depression, and anxiety, or for help with processing grief after the loss of a partner or close friends. It can also be helpful for common issues that arise with the elderly such as isolation and loneliness. Talking therapies can be helpful on their own by giving the elderly someone to talk to and share their problems, which can immediately help them feel less overwhelmed. However, trained counsellors can also help by giving them the tools to cope better with mental health problems or feelings of stress or grief, which can help them in the long term too.
Helping Them Get The Medical Help They Need
A common issue the elderly can face that affects their mental and physical health is struggling to get medical issues dealt with properly. Whether it’s due to a lack of mobility or a lack of confidence in getting health issues addressed, there can be several reasons the elderly don’t receive the help they need. You can help support them by arranging appointments for them, helping them to get to and from appointments, and chasing up medical professionals for test results and treatments. By ensuring they get the medical help they need, you can help reduce the effects of painful conditions that could be significantly affecting their mental health and wellbeing as well as their physical health. Even after receiving medical attention, they might struggle with keeping on top of taking medication and pills, but you can also help them with this. For example, getting them medication boxes in which to organise pills by days of the week and different times of the day. You can also use technology such as voice recognition devices to help set reminders to take medication or to conduct video calls to remind them yourself.
Installing Mobility Aids Around Their Home
A simple but effective way to help improve wellbeing within the home is to install mobility aides in different rooms. This could be in the form of bars around toilets or showers, or for help getting up steps and ramps in gardens. Stairlifts in multi-story properties can also be a huge help in allowing the elderly to still be able to enjoy their homes and maintain their independence for longer. Ask for feedback from your relative to find out more about what they might be struggling with around the home and what kind of mobility aides could potentially help them. It’s also worth spending time looking into the different mobility aid options available and how they could be adapted to their home. Installing emergency alarms is a good idea to reduce the risk of falls and accidents that they would need assistance with or getting medical help. These can be worn around the wrist, or neck, or hung in high-risk places around the home such as in bathrooms, bedrooms, or kitchens.
Providing Companionship And Reducing Isolation
However, as well as all these changes one of the most important aspects you need to consider to help boost wellbeing is to provide companionship and reduce isolation. As we’ve covered, helping them to attend groups and classes to meet new people and share interests is important, but you can help with providing companionship yourself within their home or yours and taking time to talk to them and listen to their needs. If you work a lot or struggle to find time to provide companionship yourself, home care services can be a great way to provide companionship and help with tasks around the home such as cooking, cleaning, and shopping for groceries.
