Monday, March 25, 2024

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What Assistance Do the Elderly Need?

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As people grow older, and enter the later stages of life, they may need more assistance with tasks and activities that younger generations take for granted. It is a fact that the modern world is characterized by an aging population. In 2020, 147 million people globally were aged between eighty and ninety-nine years of age. This is a figure that is only expected to grow in the coming decades. An aging population has become normal today, thanks to better quality healthcare for billions of people, along with a declining birth rate in many of the world’s developed countries. Whilst it is cause for celebration that more people are living longer around the world, it also has some other implications. The elderly population is likely to have complex health needs, as medical conditions can become more prevalent in later life. This article describes three forms of assistance that the elderly may need. 

Help with Personal Safety

It is estimated that 694,000 people die from falls each year and adults who are over the age of sixty suffer the greatest proportion of fatal falls. This is because elderly people may be in poorer physical health and may suffer increased health complications because of injuries sustained through falls. Because of this, the elderly may require assistance that aims to minimize the risk of injury and death when moving around. They may benefit from handrails on baths, showers, and toilets to help reduce the risk of falls or slips when using these appliances. When a senior citizen’s mobility is of daily cause for concern, they may benefit from moving to an assisted living facility, such as Berkeley assisted living. Here, they will have access to trained care and medical staff, who can seek to maximize a resident’s mobility with the use of walking aids, such as Zimmer frames or walking sticks. In addition, the elderly will be residing in secure premises where the staff can regularly monitor them to ensure they are safe and well.

Shopping Needs

Often, senior citizens have difficulty getting outside to go shopping because of a decline in mobility or increasingly severe health problems. As a result, they may need assistance with their shopping needs, especially if they choose to remain in their own homes. Thankfully, there are several ways in which this help can be arranged. Today, there is a range of community food delivery services that specialize in bringing shopping or hot meals to the elderly. In addition, relatives of the elderly can help to set up online food deliveries so that senior citizens can choose their shopping and have it delivered to their address. 

The Need to Interact with Others

For the elderly, interacting with others and enjoying a varied social life is extremely important. It can be a way to avoid developing feelings of loneliness or isolation, which can be especially common in elderly people who live alone. If they are not in assisted living facilities, and far away from other friends and relatives, it is important to stay in contact with them. A regular daily or weekly phone call can be of great assistance to the elderly to check on their well-being and allow them to feel more involved in the outside world. Family members should aim to visit elderly relatives as often as possible to keep them social and engaged with the outside world. It can also be beneficial to investigate community bus services, and trips for the elderly, as these can help keep independence high and provide a venue to interact with others and spend some time having fun. 

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