How to deal with an elderly relative’s declining mobility
No one wants to see their elderly relative grow old and start to lose their independence. Something which a lot of people start to struggle with is their ability to be mobile and how they get around. As a relative of this elderly person, you need to make sure that you are doing everything that you can to ensure that they are as mobile as possible. Here, we take you through some of our tips so keep reading if you’d like to find out more.
Talk To Them
The first thing that you need to do with your elderly relative is to sit down and talk to them. They might be embarrassed at first to address this topic, but you might find that bringing it up can make a huge difference. Ask them what sort of things that they are struggling with and see what you can do with help. You should also let them know about any changes that you are planning on making to ensure that they are happy with them.
Adapt Their Home
If your elderly relative does not live in a bungalow then you need to think about how accessible their home is. You will want to avoid having to make them move into a care home for as long as possible so think about building a ramp up to their door if they cannot climb the steps. You should also make sure that they can either get up the stairs using a stairlift or that all of the things that they need are on the ground floor. A walk in bath is also something which you should consider installing in your home. If you’re unsure as to how this may help, premierbathrooms.co.uk listed these benefits of getting a walk-in bath which you should take a look at that if you want to make their home more accessible for their current mobility struggles.
Stay In Contact
Does your elderly relative have a direct line to you or someone that can help them? If they are struggling with their mobility, then you need to think about how you can stay in contact. You don’t want to go around to their home to find out that they have tripped and fallen with no way of getting help. You could provide them with a mobile phone or if this is too difficult, you can get a buzzer or a cord that they can pull that will contact someone in an emergency. It is very important that you stay in contact if you want to deal with their declining mobility properly.
Get Them A Walking Aide
Our final tip for those who are trying to deal with an elderly relative who has a declining mobility is to get them a walking aide. Something like a zimmer frame or even something that has a basket on it that they can push could really help. This will give them something to hold onto when they are walking, and they will be able to be a lot more mobile without the risk. To get an idea of which mobility aid might be right for your loved one, just take the quick and easy 'What mobility aid is right for me' quiz and answer a few simple questions!
Final Verdict
Dealing with an elderly relative’s declining mobility is never easy but you need to make sure that you do deal with it and don’t ignore it. Make sure that you talk to them about what is going on and find out the things that they are struggling with. From there, you can start to make some decisions and adapt their home to suit their needs. You should also make sure that you stay in contact and that you check up on your relative often. Their mobility is declining and so they will need all of the help that they can get.