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Top Tools to Encourage More Independence When Outside the Home

Senior Care in Bellville OH

Independence is something that most people value highly, especially as they get older and realize that they are dealing with challenges and limitations that threaten their ability handle their basic care tasks. By encouraging your parent to maintain as much of their independence as possible no matter what they are doing you help them to stay healthier, stronger, and feeling more in control of their life.

 

Some of the tools that you can use to encourage more independence when your parent is outside their home include:

  • Voice recorder. Everyone has had that moment when they head into the grocery store knowing that they need something only to completely forget what that is, or when they cannot find their vehicle in the parking lot. This can be even more frequent for a senior who is coping with cognitive limitations. Empower your parent to feel more confident going out to handle their errands with a voice recorder. This small piece of technology allows your parent to record voice messages to themselves so that if they forget something, they can simply check it
  • Car leverage bar. If your parent has difficulty getting into or out of a vehicle they may feel reluctant to actually go out of the house. Leverage bars are simple tools that your parent can attach to the small piece of metal that protrudes from the frame of the car when you open the door. The rubber piece slides into place and creates a bar that your parent can then use to provide leverage that will help them get into or stand up from the vehicle
  • Mobility device. Not being able to move around confidently can make your parent feel as though they cannot handle tasks that they need to outside of their home. An effective mobility device that addresses their specific challenges enables them to take on a more active lifestyle while feeling safe and secure. Consider visiting a store that specializes in these devices and work with one of the professional staff to find the device that works best for your parent. This should be comfortable for them to use and readily portable so that they can take it with then wherever they need to go.

 

While it might seem as though having another person coming in to care for your parent would actually decrease the amount of independence that your loved one would have, the truth is that senior care can be a fantastic choice for supporting more autonomy. A senior home care services provider can give your loved one a personalized course of care designed to manage their needs and challenges while also helping them to be as independent as possible. This means finding ways to modify tasks so that they are more accessible for your parent, offering reliable transportation so that your parent can manage more of their own needs, and otherwise supporting their ability to handle more of their own care needs without having to rely on you fitting these needs into your schedule.

 

If you are considering hiring senior care in Bellville, Ohio, call the caring staff at Central Star Home Health at (419) 610-2161.  Providing services for families in Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, Mt. Gilead, Loudonville, Crestline, Galion, Shelby, Ashland, Wooster, and the surrounding areas.

Stephen Sternbach

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