Help a Senior Manage Life Tasks in These Four Important Ways
Guest Post by Jenny Wise
How do you help a senior who has no family members nearby? Often, it’s as simple as assisting with small, daily household chores, but some seniors need help with specific tasks, especially if they are living with a cognitive issue. Sometimes older adults want to get organized and put together important documents that detail their end-of-life wishes or declutter their home to make it safer. However you choose to help a senior friend, it’s crucial to do so with their safety and dignity in mind. Take a look around at the resources available at Totherescue.net to get an idea of how to get started, and use these tips for specific ways you can be of service to an older adult.
Help them get organized with a document tool
As we get older, it becomes more important than ever to get organized when it comes to healthcare and insurance documents, a living will, and other essential paperwork. If the senior in your life needs to go through their files and make changes or just get them in order, you can help by using a merging tool to digitize all those individual papers and combine PDFs. Not only will this give them peace of mind, it will also allow them to start the process of purging and decluttering if that has become an issue over the years.
Help them get their home into good shape
Decluttering is a great way to help a senior make their home safer, and it comes with mental health benefits as well. If the home has fallen into disrepair, needs safety modifications for a disability, or simply requires a little sprucing up, talk to your senior friend to find out more about their needs and whether you have permission to make some changes. Many older adults find it difficult to maintain their homes; some make the decision to downsize into an apartment when a home becomes too much to clean and care for. No matter what type of living situation they’re in, it’s important to make sure the environment is safe and comfortable. If money is tight, you can look online to find out whether they’re eligible for grants or discounts that will make modifications possible.
Help them stay social
When it comes to a senior’s physical and mental health, isolation and lack of social interaction can be enormously detrimental. That’s why it’s so important to make sure the senior in your life has access to friendships, whether it’s through in-person interaction, social media, or video chats. Look for local groups they might join, such as a senior exercise class or church. If they’re willing to downsize their home, it might be beneficial to look for a senior community they can move to. You can also help them find a new hobby, which has several advantages for older adults; gardening, painting, and woodworking are just a few ideas for seniors.
Help them get active
Hobbies and social activities are great ways to help your senior friend stay active, but if it’s difficult for them to get out of the house, you can look for ways to get them moving at home. Yoga is perfect for older adults since it can easily be adapted for most abilities and safety needs. Balance exercises are great too, and these can be done with simple household items.
If your senior friend is living with a disability or other impairment, they may benefit from having someone attend doctor appointments with them to ask relevant questions or take notes; make sure the doctor knows about any new activity or routines.
Helping a senior who doesn’t have loved ones nearby is a wonderful way to interact with your community. With resources like a PDF merging tool, you can help them get organized; by finding social activities, you can assist with keeping their physical and mental health strong.
Have a question about senior care? Contact the pros at Totherescue.net today.