Seniors often encounter life changes that cause them to need to think about their living situations. For example, your aging loved one might have been married for years, and he or she is now forced to live alone after losing his or her spouse. Single seniors may be curious about whether they should live alone now that they’re getting older. Understanding the risks of seniors living alone can help you have a serious discussion with your loved one about the best options for staying happy and healthy as he or she ages.
Talk about What Happens if Your Loved One Gets Sick
Most seniors feel okay living alone until they get sick. For seniors, even a mild fever or infection can knock them off their feet for a few days. A simple illness can get serious quickly after taking the wrong medication or experiencing profuse vomiting or diarrhea that affects your loved one’s ability to take care of him or herself. Seniors who insist on living alone need to identify people to rely on for help during times when they’re too ill to care for themselves.
Take Preventive Action Against Injuries
Your loved one is also at risk for long-term effects that can occur if he or she gets hurt when home alone. All it takes is one slip in the bathtub for your loved one to suddenly have a traumatic brain injury or be unable to call someone for help. Your loved one may need someone to help with risky parts of the daily routine to stay safe.
Many older adults are choosing to age in place, and some need a helping hand to continue living at home safely and comfortably. Luckily, there is professional elder care Tucson seniors can trust and rely on.
Discuss Concerns About Mental Health Disorders
Senior isolation and depression go hand in hand. Although your loved one may insist he or she is fine all alone, the truth is everyone needs someone to talk to from time to time. If your loved one lives alone, make sure he or she has people to talk to each day. Your loved one’s social network should also include a range of people he or she can call or meet with for socialization. A home caregiver is an option if your loved one is mostly confined to the house. The caregiver can even pick your loved one up and take him or her out so he or she is less likely to get depressed by following the same old daily routine.
For families living in Tucson, respite care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Home Care Assistance, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home.
Beware of the Risk of Malnutrition
You should also make plans for your loved one’s meals. Seniors who don’t have people to eat with are more likely to become malnourished due to skipping meals or eating poorly. Set weekly lunch dates with your loved one and ask if he or she needs help with grocery shopping or cooking.
Stay on Guard Against Criminal Activity
There are criminals who look for seniors who live alone because they’re often easy targets for scams and other criminal acts. Older adults who live alone are also more likely to be targets of elder abuse, which could take the form of emotional, physical, or financial trauma. Make sure there are trusted people who can watch over your loved one’s safety and make it clear to others that he or she has a strong network of support.
A professional home caregiver can be a tremendous asset if your loved one prefers to live alone. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of homecare services. You can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide individualized care plans to meet your elderly loved one’s unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia. Home Care Assistance will work with you to customize a care plan that’s just right for your loved one’s needs. Call us today at (520) 276-6555 to discuss how we can give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing your loved one is being cared for with professionalism and compassion.