Moving into a senior living community is a big decision. It is hard to know when a move is needed, much less when to bring up the subject. Seniors prefer to age at home, but sometimes that is complicated by health issues and safety concerns.
Adult children struggle to find the right time to talk about concerns with aging parents, but sometimes the signs are clear that a difficult conversation must take place. Often an aging plan can include care in the home before a move to senior living is necessary. Before making a big transition, consider private duty home care to prevent a decline in three key areas.
3 Reasons to Move to Senior Living
- Falls
- Medications
- Nutrition
1. The first fall often leads to a second.
It’s true and it is worth repeating. Balance declines with age resulting in falls that can cause injury. With an increased fear of falling, some older adults stay home, choosing to skip outings with family and friends due to a lack of confidence in their physical abilities.
A fall with a resulting injury can lead to hospitalization, a short-term rehab stay, and even a move to senior living. There are steps a senior and their family can take to immediately address normal signs of aging that signal an increased fall risk. Being aware and proactive can help delay a move to senior living.
Risk Factors for Falls
Decline in muscle mass
Effects of medications and health conditions
Vision and hearing issues
Environmental hazards
A fresh pair of eyes on the situation is often a big help. Regular visits from mobile primary care, occupational therapy visits, and daily private duty assistance can provide additional support and possibly prevent a move to senior living. Nobody wants a senior to be fearful in their home or to choose to live a lesser life because of a fear of falling.
How Does Private Duty Care Help Prevent Falls?
A private caregiver can help keep the senior active and engaged. Encouraging simple exercises like walking, stretching, or chair exercises makes a big difference. Additionally, the private duty caregiver can work with other providers to determine the most appropriate exercises.
Private duty homecare provides the fresh pair of eyes that some families desperately need. They can watch for trip hazards and make suggestions to make the living space more senior-friendly. They also get to know their senior clients, and determine the tasks that make them uncomfortable or fearful and offer extra support for safety.
2. The impact of medication is different for elderly people.
When an older adult takes five or more medications, it is called polypharmacy. More than four in ten seniors take 5 or more prescription medications and nearly 20% take 10 drugs or more. Over the last decade, more and more seniors are being hospitalized for adverse drug events.
Taking multiple medications can increase the risk of falls. Even more so when medications are taken incorrectly, inconsistently, or without proper nourishment. This can present a challenge for the senior living alone at home when the medications are needed for anxiety, high blood pressure, and other conditions.
Side Effects of Medications
Impaired judgment and cognition
Loss of balance
Drowsiness
Dizziness
Mood changes
Seniors often have multiple medical conditions with medications for each. One medication may interact with another and make conditions worse. Managing medications in the proper dosage and reporting side effects is an important part of the relationship between the senior and their prescribing physician(s).
How Private Duty Care Helps with Medications
A properly trained private duty caregiver can assist in the home with medication reminders or assistance as needed. This first line of defense offers peace of mind for family and the senior alike as medications can be discreetly supervised. Also, side effects can be observed and communicated immediately to family members or physicians to avoid accidents or injury.
3. Malnutrition is more common in adults over age 65.
From meal planning to shopping to preparing healthy meals, nutrition can be exhausting for an elderly person. Meal prep is all the rage these days and cooking shows are fun to watch, but difficult for a senior to replicate. Proper nutrition is often the connection between falls, medications, and healthy living at home.
A senior living home alone is more likely to skip a meal (or two) and suffer from malnutrition. Our nutrition needs change as we age and living at home alone often does not promote healthy eating habits. A balanced diet helps reduce the risk of illness and supports active, independent living for longer.
Keys to Healthy Eating
Eat more whole foods
Drink water with meals
Get enough protein
Eat fiber-rich foods
Watch sodium intake
Malnutrition doesn’t always look like a person who has lost weight. An individual can be eating a sizable amount of the wrong foods and still be malnourished. Common signs of poor nutrition often look like “normal” signs of aging, including the weakness and fatigue that can result in falls. Or the confusion and loss of balance that can result from medication side effects. Malnutrition is not “normal” – and it’s preventable.
How Can Private Duty Home Care Help with Nutrition?
Spice up a mundane daily chore with the company of another person! Shopping, cooking, and even meal prep is easier and much more fun with the help of a private duty care aide. Eating alone is far less desirable than the mentally stimulating opportunity to share a meal and conversation with a companion. From start to finish, each meal is an improved experience simply by sharing it with another person.
If the goal is to avoid senior living, or even to push that decision down the road a bit, consider these three pitfalls to living safely and independently at home. Contact a private duty agency near you and ask how private duty caregivers are everyday heroes, helping seniors excel in their home environments and stay active longer. Think private duty aides only help with hands-on care? They do So. Much. More.
Caregivers make magic happen each and every day which is why Private Duty Homecare is a Resource We Love. Have an aging loved one who could benefit from personalized care at home? Contact Champion Home Health Care: Private Duty, Brevard County, FL, to learn how our caregivers can provide tailored support for your senior’s unique needs. Call us at (321) 608-3838
