Aging Gracefully – Finding The Balance Between Independence and Safety
Keep Your Independence
It’s natural to want to maintain independence as we get older. And, in many cases, this independence is good for us – it keeps us happy and forces us to be active. However, it’s also important to consider how health problems may limit our independence as we get older. Pushing yourself too hard could cause further injury or illness. Therefore, you need to be willing to give up some independence in exchange for safety. This post delves more into how you can strike the perfect balance between independence and safety in order to stay happy and healthy in your senior years.
Adapt your living environment
Making your living environment easier to navigate could be important if you start to experience mobility issues. This could include keeping walkways free of clutter, installing grab bars in certain places and keeping useful items in easy reach of chairs and beds. You could even consider adding ramps or lifts to negotiate stairs. These modifications could allow you to stay in your current home instead of having to move to a new home.
Embrace technology
There are many ways in which modern technology can benefit older people with mobility issues. Smart technology can allow many parts of our home to be controlled remotely using a smartphone app. This includes installing video doorbells and smart locks to allow entry to people outside, smart HVAC to operate heating and cooling remotely, and smart lighting to control lights remotely. Meanwhile, solutions like online banking and online shopping can prevent one from having to leave the house.
Work with the right caregivers
Hiring caregivers doesn’t have to result in a loss of control. Some services like Happiest @ Home provide support for tasks like cleaning or self-care while helping you to maintain independence. It’s possible to also hire transportation companies to take you on days out and provide you with more freedom. Some of these services may even be free if you have a registered disability and earn under a certain income threshold.
Keep contact with friends and family
It’s important that you stay social – especially if you are living alone. If something happens to you, you need people who will be willing to check in on you. Get into the habit of carrying out regular phone calls and schedule meetups. You could even consider joining clubs to stay social and make friends if you don’t know too many people in your area.
Address health concerns
Don’t ignore early signs of health problems. Seeing a doctor early could allow you to get treatment before things get too serious. In some cases, you may be able to make lifestyle changes early to delay health problems from getting worse. By slowing down the progression of health issues, you could find that you’re able to maintain independence longer. Examples include quitting smoking to slow down the progression of COPD, losing weight to manage arthritis pain, investing in a hearing aid to combat hearing loss and getting cataract surgery early to prevent further vision loss.
