The AARP ten-year study reveals that over 77% of older people aged 50 and older desire to live their vintage life at their home. While this choice can make life easier for adults, it presents new challenges for the young population.

Whether you are caring for your elderly parents, spouse, or siblings, your role as an older adult's caregiver is a significant responsibility. Moreover, taking care of older adults can be overwhelming if you have no idea about how to help senior citizens. Equipping yourself with the necessary knowledge and support is essential to provide the best care possible.

In this article, we have put together some simple tips to enhance elderly care at home. 

Tips to Foster Elderly Care at Home

• Understand How Much Care Your Elderly Require

The first step to taking care of your elderly loved ones at home is to understand their needs. You shouldn't jump in headfirst without understanding their health issues and the level of care they need, as it can make your job harder.

Knowing how much care your elderly loved one needs will help you devise a tailored care plan that could address their health and safety concerns. 

So, to devise the in-home care plan for older adults, consider making a list of daily, weekly, and monthly care tasks that your loved one needs to get by. In addition, factor in the elderly's health challenges to determine how much supervision they need all day and night.

• Make the Home Safe and Accessible 

Tripping and falls are one of the common causes of injuries among seniors. These accidents can lead to debilitating consequences, such as hip or leg fractures, immobility, and disruption in daily activities. Moreover, the risk of trips and falls is higher if your elderly loved one has osteoporosis or osteopenia. 

Therefore, the importance of making your home safe and accessible can't be overstated to enhance elderly care at home. So, consider evaluating home hazards from older adults' point of view and take necessary measures. 

The following are a few vital aspects you can consider to ensure senior's safety at home:

• Declutter your house by securing slippery carpets and rugs, tucking loose cables and wires away, keeping counters tidy, and removing excess furniture.
• Place non-skid mats near the bathroom, sink, and garden. Alternatively, you can apply anti-slip treatment to the shower or toilet flooring.
• Install lights in low-light spaces, or you can also install motion-activated lighting.
• Get chairs and beds with comfortable heights as they are easily accessible by seniors.
• Install handrails on stairs for better grip and prevent accidental falls.

• Help Elderlies Get Medical Screenings and Checkups Regularly

Another crucial thing you can't miss when caring for your elderly loved ones is taking them for medical screenings and checkups. These two are essential to help maintain older adult's health and prevent potential medical complications. 

Screenings and checkups will help identify potential health issues with your older parents or spouse. If they have an existing chronic condition, consider scheduling follow-up appointments to prevent and mitigate the impact of health complications.

• Encourage Your Senior to Stay Active

As humans age, they find it challenging to stay active, leading to age-related loss of muscle mass, strength, functionality, and mobility. Moreover, some older adults with chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease, arthritis, or osteoporosis find it challenging to engage in physical activities as the years go by.

However, it's believed that doing physical exercise can counter the effects of inactivity, sarcopenia, and their consequences. So, consider adding brisk walking, cycling, swimming, yoga, Zumba, or other moderate-intensity physical activities into the daily routine for adults. 

• Maintain Healthy and Adequate Nutrition for Adults

As the years go by, people start losing muscle, and their metabolism decreases. You can help your seniors address these issues by feeding them more protein and nutritious foods. 

Remember that people aged 50 and older need around 1.2 grams of protein daily for each kilogram of their body weight. In addition, a higher intake of vitamin D and calcium will help older people counter their bone density loss. 

So, to help your elderly loved ones maintain optimal health, you should give them a healthy, balanced diet. In addition, make sure they are well-hydrated and take supplements as prescribed by their doctor.

• Keep Your Elderly Loved Ones Company

As people age, they tend to feel lonelier, which can impact their mental health. As an elderly caregiver, you should meet their companionship and social connection needs. 

Here are some things you can do to help your elderly loved one combat the feeling of loneliness:

• Invite their friends or relatives to come over at home.
• Play games with them, like card or board games.
• Engage with them in activities like crafting, cooking, baking, or reading.
• Take them outdoors for social gatherings, workouts, or events.

• Find a Home Care Service Provider

Despite following the above-discussed tips, there might be times you can't meet your elderly loved one's needs, like helping them do personal chores, driving them to appointments, or meal planning.

Finding a caregiver who is an expert in providing home care services beforehand allows you to have in-home care ready in the wings whenever your senior needs it. These caregivers can cut you a slack whenever needed. Their services usually include personal care, assisting in regular activities, medication management, driving to appointments, etc. 

Final Words

Caring for older adults at home is a full-time labour of love and major responsibility. Following the above-listed tips can help you provide better elderly care at home, making your loved one's life easier, comfortable, and healthier. 

However, regardless of how much time you spend caring for your senior, chances are you will need professional home care services at some point along the way. 

Medanta HomeCare is your cutting-edge solution for end-to-end elderly support. It encompasses everything from holistic care to goal-based care plans and a supporting ecosystem your elderly loved one needs to live healthily.