While staying at home for as long as possible is the goal for many older adults, it is not always a safe or healthy option. Fortunately, senior support services have grown and adapted to meet the challenges of the aging Baby Boomer generation. Your senior loved one can certainly stay at home, safely and happily, for years longer than just decades ago. However, you need support, resources, and services designed to give them the independence they desire.
Here are a few ways you can help your senior loved one live independently at home.
Keep a Social Calendar
Living at home can get lonely and result in isolation, which can be detrimental to senior cognitive and physical health. Help your loved one maintain an active social calendar by setting up transportation to and from church fellowship groups or their monthly lunches with friends. Check in on senior programs through the park district, neighborhood YMCA, or local senior center as well to encourage regular trips out of the house and into a social situation.
Assure Healthy Nutrition
When a senior lives at home alone, or with a partner, cooking three nutritious meals per day can sometimes seem overwhelming or downright difficult. You can make healthy eating a bit easier by setting up Meals on Wheels services for regular deliveries, as well as by securing help to escort your loved one to the grocery store or to prepare meals. If you are nearby, consider cooking a double batch of one meal per week at your home and drop off the leftovers, wrapped in individual portions, to stock your loved one’s fridge or freezer.
Rally the Community
If you are nearby, you may be able to regularly stop by to check in on your loved one. However, if you live miles away, regular checks can be impossible. Try rallying the community to fill in the gaps. You can ask a neighbor to stop by for coffee once per week or for a senior support service to call weekly. These short assessments can give you a heads up for illness, forgetfulness, or other troubling signs that could warrant a physician appointment.
Get Professional Help
At CaringGivers, we are committed to providing services that keep seniors in the home they love for as long as possible. Our caregivers have extensive experience working with seniors of all abilities, and we pride ourselves on providing person-centered care that keeps our clients feeling their very best. We offer a full range of services, from brief visits a few times per month to daily support visits, and can build a plan customized for your loved one.
Call us today to tell us more about your loved one. We would be honored to join your support team.