It can become more difficult to maintain independence as we age.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to maintain independence in yourself and your senior loved one.
Independence plays a large role in physical and mental health, confidence, self-esteem, and sense of purpose.
Promoting independence in your senior loved one can help them feel happier and achieve a higher quality of life.
Learn more about how you can promote independence in your loved one, factors that lead to the loss of independence, why maintaining independence is important, and when to consider a senior living community for your loved one.
How can we promote independence in the elderly?
As a caregiver or family member of an older adult, naturally, you may feel inclined to help your loved one with every task.
While this is not necessarily bad, it can make your loved one feel dependent, like a burden, and cause their skills to decline quicker.
Even if it takes them longer, if your loved one can complete a task alone safely, you should allow them to. It helps their mental and physical health when you empower older adults to do things themselves.
You can help promote independence in your loved one by ensuring they stay active and physically fit, as well as providing them the assisted devices they need to do everyday tasks for themselves.
Common devices that help older adults stay independent and safe include:
- Eyeglasses
- Hearing aids
- Grab rails and hand bars
- Walkers
- Canes
- Ramps
- Shower benches
- Steps
- Raised toilets
Smart technology and devices such as senior-friendly phones and medical alert devices can make it safer for a loved one to remain in their home longer as well.
To ensure that your loved one’s home is safe, you may be interested in checking out a home safety checklist for seniors and calling in a home safety expert.
What factors lead to a loss of independence in older adults?
With aging comes a natural decline in cognition, balance, and strength. These factors all make it riskier for older adults to live alone, especially when they have a memory disease or chronic health condition.
Some of the most common factors include:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Dementia
- Parkinson’s disease
- A fall injury
- Heart conditions
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Impaired vision or hearing
- Osteoporosis
While not all of these conditions can be cured, most can be treated and managed, allowing your loved one to remain independent.
With rehabilitation, support, assisted devices, technology, and a safe home to live in, your loved one can thrive and maintain their quality of life.
Why is keeping independence important for seniors?
Independence is essential when it comes to physical, emotional, and mental health. Older adults must feel useful to maintain their sense of worth and dignity.
When independence is taken away, many older adults are prone to depression, anxiety, isolation, withdrawal, fears, guilt, and feelings of hopelessness.
Older adults who engage in physical activities and mindfulness are reported to maintain their independence longer and have more positive feelings about themselves and their lives.
Kensington Park Senior Living offers a variety of health and wellness programs to help residents maintain their independence.
From balance classes to chair yoga and various exercise classes, Kensington Park offers a multitude of opportunities to stay fit and preserve independence.
These classes help them improve stability, focus on meditation and breathing, improve coordination and strength, and learn how to prevent falls.
In addition, Kensington Park Senior Living offers on-site rehabilitation services for older adults needing physical or occupational therapy to improve and maintain their health and independence.
What is an example of promoting independence?
The best way to promote independence is to give your loved one options and choices.
Let them plan their own meals and activities, and encourage them to have an active lifestyle, positive social life, and friendships.
When your senior loved one has control over what goes on in their lives, even if physically they struggle to complete tasks alone, they will still feel independent.
One of the reasons that older adults enjoy moving to an independent living community is because it allows them the freedom to live out their days as they would like.
Independent living communities allow residents to live happily, healthily, and socially.
With attractive and cozy suites, a calendar full of life-enrichment activities, a talented and professionally-trained executive chef, maintenance services, and the choice to have a pet, family, and friends over for visits, what else could one ask for?
Our team ensures that our residents are safe, comfortable, and given the respect they deserve.
We understand that autonomy is essential to a healthy mind and body, which is why we support our resident’s freedom and wishes to the best of our ability.
Kensington Park Senior Living offers various levels of care
Kensington Park is an independent living, assisted living, and memory care community that allows older adults to truly age in place.
We stand by Our Promise to love and care for your family as we do our own by offering support, compassion, understanding, and friendship.
Many of our residents choose to join our independent community while still fully independent and healthy. Being part of a community helps older adults feel less lonely and isolated.
When a senior’s care plan changes and they need more support, they know they can remain in the comfort of their community and transition to one of our assisted living or memory care neighborhoods.
Being a part of Kensington Park Senior Living communities means your loved one will receive:
- A full spectrum of clinical support for all levels of care
- A medical director
- On-site nurses
- Medication administration and injections
- Individualized care plans
- Rehabilitation & wellness services
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Brain fitness
- Balance in Action
- Music therapy
- Massage therapy
- Beauty salon
- Exquisite dining services
- Speciality diets
- Cozy suites
- Life-enrichment activities
Contact us to visit our blog to learn more about our safe and cozy suites, amenities, caregiver resources, and upcoming events and classes.