What Can You Do to Promote Independence for Your Senior?

Independence can be a huge topic for your elderly family member. She may know that she’s growing older, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

Let Her Handle What She Can

This part is really difficult, but if your elderly family member is still able to handle some of her own daily care, let her do it. If you take over too much for your elderly family member, she’ll lose the abilities that she still has. It’s far better for her overall to do what she can on her own and then get help if and when she needs it afterward.

Make Some Modifications to Make Tasks Easier

Some tasks can be made so much easier for your aging adult if you make some small modifications. She might feel safer showering on her own if she uses a shower chair, for example. Likewise, grab bars throughout the house might make her feel more comfortable moving from room to room on her own. Look for the areas in which she’s having the most difficulty and see what you can change to make the situation better.

Wait for the Ask

Another tool that you and your senior can use together is to wait for her to ask you for help. At first blush, this might feel difficult or punishing, but it can help your senior quite a bit. If she’s concerned you’ll take over a task, she might try to rush it, which can cause her to injure herself. On the other hand, if she knows that she can try it on her own and then ask for help if and when she needs it, you both can get what you need from the situation.

Get Help from Senior Care Providers

Senior care providers can help you and your elderly family member to maintain her independence far more than you expect. Again, this might seem like something that removes independence, but they can show you the right modifications to help your senior. They can also show her how to do certain tasks in a different way in order to accomplish them much more easily.

Your elderly family member may be able to hold onto a lot more independence than she thought possible for a far longer time. The key to figuring this out is to talk with your elderly family member and determine where she feels comfortable in all of this. She may be able to give you some specific examples that help you to formulate boundaries.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in New Brunswick, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care of New Brunswick today. Call (732) 607-8870.