Seniors past the age of 70 commonly have problems living alone, and often need help with performing their daily tasks. This sort of help comes at the cost of independence, which for most elders is something sacred. Most fail to prepare themselves to start depending on people when they enter their golden years, and suffer psychologically as well as physically when deprived of the benefits they were long used to.
You commonly see such elders exhibit grief, emotional upset, and of course, frustration in these situations. Factor in the other types of losses brought in by their minds and bodies degenerating with age, and it becomes easier to understand that they are far from the best place they can be at that point in life.
The types of faculties they may lose at this stage include decision-making skills, mobility, hearing, strength for daily tasks, energy to cook or clean, memory, ability to live by themselves, and sight. They also stand a high chance of experiencing negative emotions such as guilt, denial, irritability, frustration, sadness, and anxiety. Aside from looking at some of the finest memory care Los Angeles has to offer, you can do the following things to help your parent or elder.
Standard of Dignity
Your senior may need help to get through their daily living activities, but this does not mean they have to sacrifice their dignity for it. Caregivers should be constantly careful to guard the privacy of their wards, as well as take care to be polite when speaking with them, especially when referring to body parts and hygiene products.
Diversity of Caregiving Options
Giving in to dependence requires significant personal trust, and that makes it doubly essential that seniors get the chance to pick for themselves. The perception of choice is just as important as the thing itself. Find out if your senior has hard preferences and requirements when looking at the finer options for assisted living Long Beach has to offer.
Organized Consistency
Dependence mainly translates to a loss of control, which means seniors would need to wait on others to get the assistance they needed with their activities. This is bound to cause stress over time, as well as some amount of anxiousness as to being taken good care of. Organize everything in easy reach so they are able to move around more freely than otherwise.
Reminders of Support
Let them know you are there any time of day, ready to help with whatever they need. This takes away most of the stress and anxiety from being unable to look after themselves, and assures your senior they are actually in a good position as long as you are around.
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