Most people have fairly average, if not better, mobility for the majority of their lives. As they age, that can change significantly, however. As mobility decreases, seniors find that daily life is more difficult and overall quality of life decreases as well. Senior home care providers can help families understand more about how mobility affects senior quality of life while also offering solutions to keep seniors safer.
Why Is Mobility Important for Seniors?
It’s important for family caregivers to understand why mobility is such a big issue for aging adults. When seniors maintain as much mobility as they can, they are less likely to have to go to the hospital and they’re less likely to experience serious illness. Maintaining mobility also helps seniors to age in place for as long as they want to do so.
Are Seniors Moving Less?
The first question for family caregivers to ask is whether they’re noticing that their senior family members are moving less during the day. This may or may not be an easy question to answer, depending on what they’re able to witness themselves. Home care providers can help with this, because they’re able to pay close attention to whether seniors are avoiding movement or are acting scared to be more active.
Has Movement Changed in Other Ways?
Another question to answer is whether seniors have changed how they move. This could involve seniors having trouble walking or compensating for pain or difficulties by limping, for instance. Some of the other changes could be less obvious, but also indicate that there might be more going on. Seniors might have gone for long walks every day, but suddenly they’re skipping those walks or shortening them significantly.
Talk to Medical Providers
Noticing any of these issues or changes can be an indication that there are underlying issues at work. It’s important for seniors to talk to their medical providers and determine what they can do to cope with them. If the changes are a result of increased pain, identifying the source of the pain and resolving it is so important, and that’s what medical providers are there to do. Correcting the problem could be all seniors need to do.
Implement Changes Slowly
If the answer is for seniors to gradually become more active or to make other lifestyle changes, seniors are going to have better results if they tackle those changes slowly. Fast changes or trying to make too many changes all at once is overwhelming and won’t give seniors the lasting results they want. Senior home care providers can help aging adults with reminders and by establishing routines that let them gradually rebuild their mobility.
Reduced mobility isn’t always terrible news, because seniors experience mobility changes for all sorts of reasons. But to regain quality of life, it’s important for family caregivers to understand what is behind the change in mobility so they can plan appropriately. Senior home care providers work with seniors and family caregivers to get the support they need with these types of issues.
If you or an aging loved one are considering senior home care in Houston, TX for an aging loved one, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
At Your Side Home Care, provides exceptional home care assistance for seniors and families in Houston, West Houston, Katy, Memorial, The Heights, Spring Valley, Garden Oaks, Hunters Creek, River Oaks, Hilshire Village, Galleria, Cinco Ranch, Spring Branch, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenburg, Piney Point, Bay City and surrounding areas.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
