How well do you know the needs of your ageing loved one?
Could he or she be slowly losing their independence?
In the UK there are over 9 million people over the age of 70 with half a million over 90. Many children are now caring for parents who, due to reduced ability and fragility, are losing their independence. Have you noticed if:
- they are struggling to bend and stand up again?
- they are a bit wobbly on ladders?
- they are unsteady when reaching up to get things out of cupboards?
Our WEEKLY WISE WAYS newsletter is a source of helpful advice and ideas to:
- remove potential hazards in the home
- look at things from both sides of this role reversal
- suggest ways to ease any tensions
- discuss feelings of embarrassment, frustration and resentment
- gain knowledge about health problems that particularly apply to the elderly
Independence for the purpose of this post is simply defined as not being able to carry out activities of daily living (ADLs in nursing speak) without needing help from another person. This includes general household tasks to personal hygiene needs. It is a scary thought for any of us, but it becomes more of a reality with age.
Loss of independence can occur at any time due to accident, illness or age.
During my 38 years NHS nursing career I was privileged to support people of all ages with their struggle to regain their independence or come to terms with the loss of it.
In retirement my passion is to share my knowledge and experience to help prevent unnecessary harm and hospitalisation. Witnessing, as well as suffering, pain and distress is hard. Relatives of an elderly person who has been hospitalised have felt guilty because they did not see the hazard.
In WEEKLY WISE WAYS we discuss actions that can be taken, adjustments that can be made and handy gadgets that can be purchased to help keep our loved ones as safe and independent as possible.
(Yes, there was a time we wore cardboard hats)
This was my 70th birthday tea at the Ritz with my daughter, Jane. She has started to worry about me doing things that she thinks are too risky after her friends’ father had a fall. She asked me not to go up into the loft or go up any ladders unless someone was with me. I must admit I ignored her as I have climbed up into the loft forever! Then, whilst up there getting Christmas decorations, I felt a bit wobbly stepping backwards down from the loft onto the ladder and it shook me. So, we have emptied the loft – no reason to go up there now. She laughed and said, “what’s it like having to take your own advice?” cheeky!