If your elderly loved one is one of the 50 million people throughout the United States who are living with arthritis, you have likely noticed that they are struggling with their daily tasks. Arthritis can limit the tasks that your parent can handle on their own, which can make it harder for your parent to manage their personal needs, but can also negatively impact their quality of life and their mental and emotional health. As their caregiver it is important for you to take steps to support your loved one and help them to handle as much on their own as they can. This can boost their mental and emotional health, increase their motivation, and make their life as fulfilling as possible as they age in place. One way that you can do this is making meaningful modifications throughout their home that help them to handle basic tasks on a daily basis.
Try these meaningful modifications in your parent’s kitchen to help them manage arthritis:
• Automatic faucet. Grasping and turning a faucet can be hard for your parent to manipulate if they are struggling with arthritis in their hands. Consider replacing these with an automatic faucet that only requires your parent to tap the top or put their hands beneath it to start the water.
• Use small containers. Rather than storing your parent’s ingredients in large containers that might be difficult for them to manage, transfer them into smaller containers so that they can more easily lift and open them.
• Single cup coffeemaker. Lifting an entire pot of coffee can not only be difficult, but also dangerous for a senior with arthritis. Replace a traditional coffeemaker with a single cup maker so that they can still make their own coffee but not put themselves at risk.
• Try easy gadgets. Chopping and cutting can be difficult and dangerous for a senior with arthritis. Instead of utilizing knives, encourage them to use small choppers that only require your parent to press a button.
Starting home care for your aging parent can be one of the most nurturing, caring, and meaningful decisions that you can make for them throughout the course of your caregiver journey with them. Particularly if your elderly loved one is suffering from a chronic condition such as arthritis, an in-home senior care services provider can create a highly personalized set of services tailored not just to their individual needs, services, and challenges, but also their personality, beliefs, and goals. This means that they are able to address their issues related to their arthritis and stay safe, healthy, and comfortable, while also helping them to maintain a lifestyle that is as active, engaged, independent, and fulfilling as possible as they age in place. They can accomplish this by helping your parent to understand the challenges that they are facing as well as the instructions, guidelines, and prescriptions given to them by their doctor so that they can make better lifestyle choices, remain compliant with their prescriptions, and keep their mental and emotional health high so that they are more motivated to pursue the quality of life that they desire and deserve. When it comes to challenges with specific issues, such as preparing and cooking meals and snacks, this care provider can help to modify these tasks to encourage them to handle more of them on their own. For those that they are not able to handle independently, this care provider can take on these tasks for them so that your parent can enjoy the lifestyle that they want to while managing their individual symptoms and challenges.
https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/arthritis-related-stats.htm
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care services in Bellevue, NE, please contact the caring staff at Seniors Helping Seniors® Greater Omaha at (402) 215-0308 today.