Do you have an elderly relative who is struggling to maintain their mobility?
For many older people, having mobility issues is common and can cause issues with their health, independence, and, of course, their quality of life. Indeed, it can also be a signal of an underlying health issues, such as arthritis which will require a proactive approach to prevent the side effects of said issues from impacting daily life and becoming a more long-term issue.
So, with the right approaches, older people can be helped to maintain their mobility, and here, you, as their younger relatives, will be shown how you can help them to do just that!
Encourage Regular Physical Activity
When an older person has sore joints or is struggling to move about, it is commonplace for them to resort to sitting still.
This, of course, can lead to the muscles in the legs and hips becoming atrophied, which in turn, can lead to more soreness and stiffness. The key here is to encourage them to take part in physical activity. Even if your loved one is in a care home, such as stpetersbury.com, there will be low-impact activities for them to take part in, such as swimming, walking, and yoga. There are also strength training exercises that they can do to reduce the chances of age-related muscle loss, which is called sarcopenia. If needs be, you can even buy your older relative a set of dumbbells for Christmas or their birthday, to encourage them into physical activities.
Provide Assistive Devices and Home Modifications
There are some seniors for whom, assistive devices are the answer to limited mobility issues and are the next step towards independence and exercise. These devices could be as simple as canes or walkers but why not try to go one step further with them and look into ramps, as well as helping them to move about in their bathroom with grab rails? It may not sound like much, but even these modifications can improve movement in the home, which can help them to get about with ease, and loosen up stiff joints.
Focus on Coordination Exercises
It is also worth looking into exercises that can help your older relative to improve their balance and coordination. You can join in with these, and many options include gentle movements that can be done at home, such as yoga and tai chi for seniors. There are even community centers that offer senior programs for older adults, so keep an eye out for them, and ask them if they would be interested in joining one!
Address Medical Conditions Proactively
It should be noted that common health issues in older people, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, and even diabetes, can impact badly on mobility.
So, it is worth ensuring that your older relative is managing these conditions with medication reviews and checkups and engaging in the appropriate therapies to minimize how said conditions impact their lives. If you can, it is worth trying to help them with some of these therapies, such as at-home stretches for arthritis.
