When you enter your senior years, your body will begin to ache and you’ll find everyday tasks more difficult to complete. To help you out, there are plenty of quality care services available, but we understand that you’ll want to maintain your independence as long as you can. With this in mind, we’ve put together a short guide for living independently when you’ve reached old age.
A Safe Environment
When you’re navigating your home, it’s important to stay safe. After all, you don’t want to be laid on the floor for hours waiting for help. The best way to move around your home safely is to remove any trip hazards, which will involve cleaning up after yourself and keeping walkways clear. Additionally, you may wish to consider doing away with wooden or laminate flooring because carpets are much less slippery.
Upgrading Your Home
Your home is likely laid out for a younger version of you. However, as your body begins to age, you’ll need to make adaptions. For example, if you struggle with mobility, you may wish to consider having handrails put into your entrance, hallways, and bathrooms. Additionally, if your legs won’t carry you up the stairs, a stair lift will come in handy.
Regular Exercise
When your body starts to ache and movement becomes challenging, it’s essential you avoid becoming sedentary. Therefore, we recommend taking part in regular exercise, which can be as simple as walking to the shops and back. Alternatively, you can engage in low-impact activities like cycling and swimming.
Socialization
Engaging in regular exercise is part of the solution, but you need to keep your brain active as well. A great to achieve this is by maintaining and making social connections, which will help to get you out of the house. You don’t need to go far; it can be a simple trip to the local coffee shop. Alternatively, if you really don’t want to leave the house, consider inviting loved ones over to see you.
Using Smart Tech
Technology has come a long way over the last couple of decades, and it’s especially useful for getting through the daily routine. For example, you can use your voice control lights, open blinds/curtains, manage the heating, control locks, and much more. As well as this, personal assistants like Siri can be used to complete grocery shopping, play music, play games, and call loved ones.
Knowing When Help is Needed
Keeping hold of independence will make you feel fantastic. However, you need to avoid becoming stubborn and struggling to stay afloat. There is zero shame in exploring options for assisted living. Having access to 24/7 care doesn’t mean saying goodbye to every ounce of independence – it’s simply beneficial to know the help is nearby.
Take Away
Keeping your independence will mean changing habits and making adjustments to your home. However, you need to have the ability to recognize when help is needed – sometimes swallowing your pride is beneficial.
