While elderly people are no longer as agile as they were in their youth, they can still live a significantly independent life. There are many ways older adults can continue to enjoy their independence long into the future. The first of which is staying healthy.
Ensuring Fitness
If they stay healthy, older people can continue to live independently and they won’t require much help or care from other people. However, if they are unable to stay healthy, then older people may need extra care or special equipment to keep themselves mobile and safe. Talking about special equipment, it would be useful to get a stairlift fitted in a home with elderly people. This would allow the elderly to gain independence within your home.
Coming back to focusing on fitness, staying healthy is imperative for older adults. As we age, we begin losing muscle strength and become more prone to falls, which causes millions of elderly people to get injured each year. Older people can reduce muscle loss and keep immobility problems away by engaging in regular, low-impact exercise such as daily walks, water aerobics, etc.
Using Connected Technology
It would serve older people well to explore the technology designed to increase safety and convenience. With such smart technology, they can improve their home environment in a variety of ways. For example, investing in wireless thermostats, lighting and security systems that connect to smartphone through easy-to-use apps can solve most of the mobility issues for the elderly. With a few taps on the touch screen, they can check the locks, turn on the lights and adjust the temperature from miles away.
Keeping in Contact with District Nursing
By keeping in contact with district nursing, elderly people can extend the time they stay independent. Community based, district nursing facilities are mainly responsible for providing care. This includes liaising with the municipality and coordinating the client’s care needs. District nurses offer locally-based support in the form of medical care and they can help with welfare and housing issues. They offer can offer the following to the older people in their community:
- A single point of contact
- Better coordinated care
- Easy access to assistance
- Direct referral to other care providers
Investing in Special Equipment
Sometimes it is not possible for older people to live independently without special equipment. But, at least they can be independent. There are many types of special equipment which can make life easier for older people including stairlifts. If older people get a stairlift fitted in their home, then this will help them to live an independent life well into the future.
