It’s easy to feel as though you’re losing your independence when you count on elder care. There are many different types of elder care, assisted living being one of the best. Yet, even choosing the highest quality assisted living facility isn’t immediately and automatically going to cure a person of fear of losing their independence.

When you begin losing the ability to take care of yourself, struggle to get the mail or do the lawn or finish the laundry because it’s in the basement and climbing up and down the stairs has become too difficult, and so on, you have to depend on other people.

As a result, you can feel as though you have lost so much of your independence. When that happens, you may resist any number of elder care topics your children, your spouse, friends, and even neighbors may bring up.

Yet, there are ways to help aging men and women in your life still feel independent, even when they have chosen something like assisted living for their future. Let’s look at a few ways below.

 

Make sure the elder care option encourages independence.

Some facilities or other senior care choices may not offer seniors the same type of independence as assisted living. A quality assisted living facility is going to encourage independence.

It’s going to do this by allowing seniors to choose whether they want to participate in certain activities, enjoy specific types of entertainment, remain in the room most of the day when they first move in or mingle about.

By giving seniors choices, it helps them feel empowered.

 

Make sure they are involved in all care decisions.

Too often adult children who become family caregivers start dictating what their elderly mother or father can or should do. They begin forbidding them from doing certain activities, playing a sport because of their physical challenges now, or not going to the park to walk around or simply sit and enjoy an afternoon.

That is not going to help that senior feel independent. Yet, when you include that senior in the process of choosing which elder care option is best for them, it makes all the difference in the world.

They may even say at one moment they aren’t interested in moving from their apartment or home, but the more information you provide, especially about assisted living, for example, the more they begin to realize its benefits.

 

Help them feel worthy.

When a person struggles to take care of themselves, is no longer able to drive, go grocery shopping, cook, or do other basic activities, they may feel worthless.

Find ways they can feel worthy again. These may seem simple on the surface, but they can be incredibly powerful.

The bottom line is when an elderly person reaches an age when they’re facing increased challenges to care for themselves properly, it’s easy to feel like they’re losing independence and autonomy.

These little tips can make a world of difference at helping them feel empowered and that can help improve a person’s sense of self-worth.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering a move to Assisted Living in Carefree, AZ please contact the caring staff at MD Senior Living today. 480-267-9200