It is important for everybody here at Telecare Choice, the personal alarm specialists, that the elderly are able to continue living independently in their own homes for as long as possible. With that in mind here are a few top tips to avoid becoming lonely in old age.
- Friends and Family
Feeling cut off from other people can lead to depression in your elderly relatives, which can negatively affect both their physical and emotional health. But there are ways to prevent loneliness in elderly loved ones listed below:
- Keep in touch by phone once a week. Try to make sure that you phone on a different day to other loved ones, to ensure that they are receiving calls spread out the week to stay connected with people.
- Teach older people to use technology. Skype can be very useful and fun for your elderly relatives to use to see their loved ones when unable to get out and about. An iPad or Kindle would be perfect for keeping in contact – start helping them with technology as soon as possible so they can benefit from the added socialisation.
- Encourage that they join events or communities. Many local churches, community centres and hospitals will put on activities or groups for the elderly. Talk to your loved one about the services available to them and offer to take them along.
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Keeping active
Exercise doesn’t need to be intense to be beneficial for optimal mental and physical health in older aged people. Take some inspirations from our tips to encourage elderly relatives to be more active:
- Join a class or club. There are many fun exercise options for older people to get involved in like dance, swimming and walking. Suggest some to an elderly loved one to try – even go with them!
- Family or friends outings. A trip to a local park is a brilliant opportunity for a light walk with loved ones for the elderly. Invite them out when you can to join in the family fun at the park or the beach.
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Assisted living at home
Fears about growing old can often stem from the fear of having no control and moving to a new and unfamiliar environment; a care home. Telecare Choice can help keep elderly relatives living at home:
- Discuss their options. Your elderly loved ones may have some big decisions to make when they are no longer able to do everything for themselves. Listen to their concerns and try to offer the best solution possible to fit their needs.
- Help elderly loved ones to complete tasks. Being able to do household chores and gardening will give elderly people the feeling of independence and achievement every day. Give them a hand with anything they find difficult so they can still have this mental stimulation whilst getting tasks done.
Feel free to share this article! Comment below with other suggestions for helping your elderly loved ones live independently and safely.
