Published: June 16, 2023
Excellent care for senior family members is a duty you must embrace. It guarantees an exceptional quality of life, comfort, and safety. Fortunately, various approaches to care suffice, including independent living, senior apartments, virtual retirement communities, and adult family homes. With the multiple living arrangements available, it would be best to consider a choice that adequately addresses the needs and preferences of senior family members. You must also understand how to take care of them in independent living. The following are insights into how you can support senior family members in independent living.
Constant Communication
Communication is considered the spine of healthy living, particularly among seniors. It creates a sense of belonging and encourages satisfaction, happiness, and hope. Various statistics show that constant communication with family members helps seniors fight different mental and emotional baggage. It also makes community living for seniors friendlier.
Independent living could make some seniors feel socially isolated and lonely. Over an extended period, it could compromise their quality of life, including contributing to chronic illnesses. Frequently talking to these seniors makes it easy for them to fight depression, anxiety, cognitive health issues, and mobility problems.
Further, consider regular face-to-face chats. While you could be time-barred, perhaps because of work, create substantial time to spend with loved ones. It highlights support and love for them, allowing them to feel part of the family.
However, know when and how to communicate with seniors in community living centers. Professionals at these community living centers will often provide in-depth insights into their health, allowing you to craft suitable messages for them.
Excellent Medication
High-quality medication is necessary to help maintain the high quality of your loved one’s health. Always prioritize high-quality medicine from qualified health professionals. It will significantly reduce side effects, including other age-related complications.
Ensure that your senior takes medication on time. You could invest in a cabinet with excellent compartments to allow for easier access. Properly labeling the drug shall be handy, ensuring minimal chances of overdosing.
At the same time, professionals can help. Community living centers often have qualified experts that could help prescribe and provide the proper medication. Relying on these medical experts ensures that seniors do not use drugs that could compromise their health further.
Therapy is central to high-quality life among senior citizens. Medical professionals could consider different emotional and physical treatments to ensure seniors are healthy and fit. Frequent massage therapies will also come in handy.
Choose the Right Living Arrangement
Three forms of independent living exist: retirement communities, senior apartments, and low-income housing. Choose the right living arrangement for the old to prove love and support for them.
A retirement community offers minimal support services yet encourages independence among seniors. This arrangement provides the seniors with a community of peers, making it easier for active retirees to socialize freely.
Homes in retirement communities include condos, single-family houses, modular buildings, and townhomes. You’ll choose one that suits the senior, depending on personal preferences, budget, and the offered comfort levels.
Senior apartments are yet another suitable option for aging ones. They are also called independent or senior living communities. This option is ideal for seniors who require monitoring and multiple support services, including laundry, transportation, and housekeeping.
A subsidized housing arrangement could also come in handy. While it is similar to a senior apartment, the government subsidizes this option. However, one must meet various financial requirements to get this option.
When choosing the living arrangement, it would be best to do it alongside the senior. It will help you select a suitable option, guaranteeing unmatched comfort and convenience in the long run.
Handle Finances and Paperwork
Seniors will less likely want to talk about their finances or financial situation. Yet, this is a critical subject that must be handled with care. It would be best to initiate this talk.
While you will initiate the talk about finances, consider approaching it with care. This move will cushion the senior from unwanted agitation. It will also protect them against undue pressure.
Ensure that you understand the financial situation of your loved ones before taking them to an independent living community. It will minimize inconveniences for both parties, especially if they have a fixed income or live on a particular budget.
Suppose they need financial help. In that case, you could weigh your disposable income and identify the requisite adjustments.
Further, be willing to handle the paperwork on their finances or everyday documents. Ensure that everything is dealt with accordingly, avoiding unnecessary penalties and losses. You could also consider deciding on a power of attorney.
At the same time, following up on insurance could be a nightmare for most seniors. Taking this mantle will save seniors from unexplained agony. Exploring different long-term care options that suit them should help minimize financial burdens.
Invest In High-Tech Tools
Various technologies will help improve the quality of life, especially for seniors. Investing in high-tech tools is the first step towards guaranteeing their safety, comfort, and health. However, you must understand which options to prioritize.
First, an excellent motion-sensor camera will come in handy in monitoring the movements of your loved one within a particular space. This camera will help monitor for falls and provide other important information.
Wearables are also excellent investments. They will help monitor the health of your loved one, minimizing emergencies and fatality risk. These devices will help track particular health metrics, triggering an alarm when certain levels are reached.
You’ll also need technology to facilitate medical appointments. Various options ensure that seniors do not miss medical appointments. They have reminders and cameras to ensure the process is smooth.
Make Your Loved One’s Life Better
Every senior’s health should be a priority. Yet, it requires significant time, resources, and technological investment to achieve the comfort, health, and safety seniors deserve. Start with the basics above, gradually embracing different technologies and approaches to boost comfort.
Reach out to us at The Residences at Plainview, New York. We offer multiple senior living arrangements, senior-friendly amenities, and concierge services.