Aging Gracefully 5 Ways to Maintain Your Independence as a Senior
From mobility loss to illness, getting older can make us feel helpless. After we’ve been taking care of ourselves for decades, it’s really tough to let go of the reins and have others do more for us. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be a struggle. If we can accept that we do need a helping hand here and there, these five tips can help us maintain a decent level of independence.
1. Stay Social
Nothing is better for memory and morale than maintaining relationships with other people, even if many of these are just familiar acquaintances. It gets us out of our bubbles and helps keep our minds sharp so we can continue making decisions concerning our welfare.
Communities like Pegasus Senior Living really get this. This is the primary reason places have common meeting areas and activity schedules. Just because your day-to-day is changing, it doesn’t mean you should isolate yourself.
2. Take an active interest in your care
If you feel as though you’ve lost control of your life, you may have thrown your hands up and submitted to the will of others. But when you take an active role in your care, you become the most important decision maker in your life.
Ask healthcare professionals questions, and follow the doctor’s instructions and tips for Senior medication management if this is something that applies to you. If you’re unsure of your care, seek second opinions, schedule your own appointments, and write down reminders for yourself about things like medication.
3. Use handy tools and specialty equipment
As we get older, many of us do not enjoy being babied. It can feel infantilizing to have others do things like put on our socks for us. If you want to complete basic tasks yourself, look into what gadgets make this possible.
There are all sorts of tools out there that help us compensate for lost mobility, so take advantage. If you get the hang of using them, you’ll notice that caretakers will eventually trust you’re capable.
4. Stay as physically fit as you can
Physical fitness is essential to maintaining independence. It can help improve existing mobility issues while slowing down further deterioration. If your doctor has prescribed physical therapy, attend every session and apply yourself. You may also enjoy physical activities like regular walks, gardening, yoga, or water aerobics.
5. Enjoy hobbies
When someone else begins playing a larger role in your care, you may feel locked into someone else’s schedule. To help with this, set aside time for yourself to enjoy doing what you love.
Use technology to surf the web or video chat with family, take art lessons, or join the church choir. It doesn’t matter what it is; just make sure you’re filling your own cup with activities that make you feel like yourself.
Now is your time to take it easy. It’s good to let life pass by a little slower; we’ve earned it. However, that doesn’t mean you have to let everyone else steer the ship at all times. When we make time for socializing and hobbies, are committed to staying physically active and engaged, and use every resource we can find to assist us, our independence will remain intact.
