Most of us will at some point, have to look after an elderly relative or parent. But exactly what we should be doing can sometimes be a bit of a mystery. Let’s take a look at what the experts recommend.
Encourage Them To Do Exercise
Often, we don’t like the idea of seniors doing exercise because of the risk of injury. But it turns out that doing exercise is highly beneficial for older people. Studies have shown that regular exercise can make older people functionally younger by a decade or more. As a result, they enjoy more independence and have a higher quality of life.
These results are astonishing. And they’ve led two major national bodies to review their exercise guidelines for older people. The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association have both changed their advice. Both suggest that seniors get around 30 minutes moderate aerobic activity, and two or three weights sessions a week. Also, they recommend 10 minutes a day dedicated to activities that require the use of balance.
Keep Tabs On Caregivers
Some of us are the sole carers of our elderly parents or relatives. But many of us work in tandem with other care workers, especially if we’ve got busy jobs. Some of us farm off the job of caring to nursing homes and other institutions. As a result, we don’t get to see how our parents are cared for behind closed doors.
Keep an eye out for things like marks and unexplained bruises on their skin. If in doubt, seek out a nursing home abuse lawyer. Usually, they have the expertise to tell whether injuries are accidental, or whether they have been inflicted.
Sort Out The Car
As drivers get older, their chances of being involved in an accident start to rise. Now traffic safety research groups, like AAA, are making recommendations to seniors and their next-of-kin. They suggest that seniors make modifications to their cars to keep them safe on the road. One thing that they recommend is that seniors make ergonomic adjustments to their cars. The AAA also suggests seniors use gadgets like mirror add-ons to increase their field of view. The also recommend those suffering from arthritis us ignition key assistance tools to turn keys with less pain.
Draw Up Health Documents
As parents get older, the chance that they’ll fall sick grows. As a result, it’s a good idea to start thinking about setting up a healthcare proxy. This is a person who will make healthcare decisions for the elderly person if they are unable to themselves. In effect, it signals the creation of a living will. And that will detail all the contingency plans if your parents should suddenly fall seriously ill. This includes whether to impose a do-not-resuscitate order and whether to use a feeding tube to keep parents alive.
Filling out all the forms involved can sometimes be a challenge. So you’ll want to consult with a local law attorney to do the job correctly. Parents usually list up to two children as proxies.
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