6 Tips For Helping A Senior With Limited Mobility
If your senior loved one recently lost some or all of his mobility, you may be a loss at what to do. Whether the mobility problems are a result of a disease or accident, your family member likely feels sad and frustrated about the situation. While you might not be able to help your loved regain his mobility, you can make his life easier. Here are six helpful tips for helping a senior with limited mobility:
Make Necessary Adjustments to the Home
One of the first things you should do is make your senior family member's home easier to get around in. Making a few adjustments can simplify your elderly loved one's life and help him become much happier. For instance, according to Citizens Information, you should think about installing a stair chair lift so that he can get up the stairs easier. To prevent slips and falls in the bathroom, you should install grab bars in the shower and raise the toilet. You should also think about widening the doorways and installing ramps in the house.
Encourage Exercise
Exercise might seem next to impossible to someone with limited mobility, but it can actually have a lot of benefits. Regular physical activity can increase your loved one's strength and prevent weight gain. Suggest exercises that are low-impact and easy on the joints, such as swimming or walking. Even a short stroll around the block every day can have many advantages. If your senior family member seems reluctant about exercising, try working out with him.
Hire a Home Healthcare Aide
A busy work and family life can prevent you from giving your elderly loved one all of the help he needs. If this is the case, you should think about hiring a home healthcare aide to help your family member around the house. There are many tasks a home healthcare aide can help with, including doing the dishes, grocery shopping and vacuuming.
Suggest a Support Group
If your elderly loved one seems sad and alone about his limited mobility, you should encourage him to join a support group. During these support group meetings, your family member can meet other people who share the same struggles. Talking to others who knows what it is like to have limited mobility can help your family member not feel so alone.
Validate Your Lovde One's Feelings
If your loved one comes up to you and tells you how upset and frustrated he feels about being immobile, it is very important to validate his feelings. Tell him it is understandable that he is upset over the situation and that you will always be there to support him. If your family member realizes that you sympathize with his immobility, he may feel more at ease.
Look for Signs of Depression
While it is normal to feel upset about being immobile sometimes, letting it consume your life is not healthy. If your elderly loved one seems hopeless and has lost interest in his regular activities, it is definitely time to intervene. Tell your family member that you are worried about him and that you do not want him to feel depressed all the time. Let him know that there is professional help out there and that you will take him to see a therapist.
Living with limited immobility is not always easy, but it does not have to be a complete struggle. If you follow these helpful tips, your elderly loved one will have fewer issues with his limited mobility. He will appreciate that you took the time to help him get through this difficult time in his life.