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Moving into an assisted living facility or a nursing home is a huge step that may feel like a terrible blow to a senior facing the loss of their independence. Most seniors would prefer to remain in their own familiar homes as they enjoy their golden years and even as they enter the elderly portion of their lives.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible when declining physical and cognitive function makes it unsafe for them to live alone or at home. While not all medical problems are avoidable as we age, maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle for as long as possible helps seniors avoid the need for assisted living facilities or nursing homes, often for years longer than their peers. The following tips may help seniors remain independent as they reach an advanced age.
Many seniors feel a sense of purposelessness and loss when they leave the workforce at the same time that their adult children have busy, active lives of their own. The loss of a daily structure involving their career and caring for their family takes a toll on mental health, leading to depression and increased chances of cognitive decline and dementia—one of the main reasons the elderly enter nursing homes. To keep a sense of purpose, it’s important for seniors to avoid isolation. Because they no longer enjoy daily encounters with co-workers and have no family living at home, it’s easy to become increasingly isolated. To avoid isolation, seniors should actively seek out social groups, enjoy senior excursions, and join clubs like book clubs, and movie clubs. They could also join volunteer and church groups. Most communities have plentiful opportunities for seniors to socialize.
While it’s certainly okay to enjoy time to relax during retirement and finally catch up on binge-watching the programs you never used to have time for or the stacks of best-sellers you always wanted to read, it’s also important to avoid spending all day in a recliner or on the couch. Medical studies show that a sedentary lifestyle leads to adverse metabolic changes such as obesity, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, increased cancer risk, and cognitive decline. Avoid becoming sedentary by taking time each day to walk, care for a small garden, take daily outings, or caring for a pet. Many communities have joint walking groups that meet together for daily walks, yoga, and other physical fitness activities designed for safety as well as exercise. Joining group social activities for seniors not only helps avoid isolation but also allows ample time away from the couch.
Many seniors report that they no longer attend many of the family events they are invited to because they fear becoming a burden to loved ones. A senior who no longer drivers may hesitate to ask a family member to transport them to family gatherings and then back home. However, becoming increasingly distant from the daily lives of loved ones leads many seniors to depression and hopelessness that causes physical and mental decline leading to a nursing home residency It’s important for a senior to accept invitations, spend as much time as possible with their adult children and grandchildren, and remain an active part of the lives of their cherished family members. Frequent visits, phone calls, and video calls with distant loved ones help prevent feelings of despair that could otherwise lead to decline.
Finally, staying out of a nursing home requires preventing accidents at home. Falls, broken hips, and head injuries are some of the most common causes of entering nursing homes temporarily or permanently. It’s important to refit a home to a more senior-safe environment, including installing handrails and grab bars in bathrooms, moving an upstairs bedroom downstairs, and adapting outside steps into ramps for wheelchairs and walkers. Avoiding a nursing home for as long as possible helps the elderly enjoy their golden years in a familiar comfortable environment and may increase physical and mental health for many additional years.
If you or a loved one are concerned about elder care and want to explore options to avoid nursing home placement, our experienced Arizona elder abuse attorney is here to help. We can provide guidance on your rights, advocate for your loved one’s well-being, and ensure that their needs are met in the best possible environment. Don’t wait until it’s too late—contact us today for a consultation to discuss your options and protect your loved one’s future.
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