Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Muslim
How to Help Seniors Maintain Their Independence

How to Help Seniors Maintain Their Independence

Last updated on: April 4, 2018 at 9:48 am by irfanrydhan

How to Help Seniors Maintain Their Independence 2018-04-04T09:48:27-06:00 irfanrydhan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Image source: Pixabay

The number of Americans aged 65 or over is set to double in the next thirty years. Studies show that for most of this aging population, their preference is to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. Read on for a few tips on how you can help your parents or grandparents to continue living independently for as long as possible.

Safety at home

Conduct a detailed examination of the home the parent is living in to ensure it is safe. Look out for uneven floors or obstructed pathways, unsecured rugs and areas of poor lighting. If necessary, fit additional handrails and grab bars in areas such as the bathroom.

If you are still concerned about someone’s ability to look after themselves, providing them with a fully mobile personal emergency response system, such as the Libris device manufactured by Nortek Security & Control, allows the user to reclaim their sense of independence while also providing members of their extended family with peace of mind.

The Libris constantly monitors health data such as blood pressure and pulse oximetry and also provides information location and activity levels. The device is also capable of detecting falls and has the ability to automatically summon the emergency services.

Deliveries to the door

Many elderly people struggle to eat healthy meals. While in some cases this may be due to difficulties linked to the actual cooking of food, more often the problems are associated with making trips to local stores in order to purchase the necessary ingredients.

While it is important to encourage your parent to remain as active as possible and to get out and about in their local community on a regular basis, you can remove much of the time burden needed to gather basic essentials such as groceries and medical supplies, by having them delivered directly to their door.

Freedom to travel

A key element of independent living is the ability to come and go as you please. If a parent loses the ability to drive a vehicle, either due to their age or because of a conviction, that could restrict their ability to travel, leading to an increased sense of isolation.

In some cases, an ignition interlock device will be installed in a vehicle as part of a court order related to a DUI conviction. However, you can also fit a device to a vehicle if you are concerned about someone driving with an excessive amount of alcohol in their system, enabling them to continue driving and in doing so, maintaining independent links with friends and family.

Comfort in companionship

If you live some distance from your parents, it may be difficult for you to visit them on a regular basis. Contact local support organizations, both secular and non-secular to see if there is anyone who can make such visits on your behalf. You could also try to enlist the help of neighbors or other members of the community.

Loneliness can be a huge concern, especially if a parent has been recently bereaved. One way of providing an around-the-clock companion is to consider giving your parent a pet. Not only does this help to reduce feelings of isolation but the sense of responsibility that goes hand in hand with pet ownership can give the parent a new sense of purpose, making the choice to live independently far easier.

Previous Post

March 23, 2018

How To Find A Suitable Work Environment

Next Post

April 2, 2018 3 Types of Family Members You Shouldn’t Give Up On

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Activism Architecture Art Books/Magazines Business Education Event Planning Finance Food HalalEats Unplugged Podcast Interfaith Islam Media Politics Religion Self Help The Artistic Foodies Podcast Travel TV/Film Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 June 2026 February 2026 December 2025 July 2025 June 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 June 2023 November 2022 September 2022 April 2022 February 2022 November 2021 October 2021 August 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 April 2019 February 2019 December 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 January 2018 December 2017 June 2017 May 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 August 2016 May 2016 March 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 July 2015 May 2015 January 2015 December 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 September 2013 August 2013 June 2013 May 2013 March 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 October 2010 August 2010 April 2010 February 2010 January 2010 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What disciple walked on water toward Jesus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Peter Matthew James John