5 Ways To Keep Elderly Relatives Happy and Healthy at Home

If you care for elderly relatives who live alone, you may spend much of your time worrying about them. Our bodies are minds don’t respond as quickly when we age, so we may forget things or be slower to react than we used to.

Getting older can induce a host of concerns and problems for family members and loved ones, but there are many things you can do to make it easier. Here are 5 ways to keep elderly relatives happy and healthy at home.

Daily contact

You can’t be with your elderly relatives 24/7, but thanks to mobile technology, you should be able to contact them without too much of a problem.

Agree upon a time to call each day, and it will not only give you both peace of mind but will also give them something to look forward to.

If they know how to use a mobile, it might also be a good idea to have them text you each morning, so you know that they are safe and well.

If you can visit regularly, do so, or if you are too busy, try and organize other relatives or friends to pop round for a chat or a cup of tea. Life can get very lonely from time to time, and active social life can make a positive difference.

Meal planning

Making sure your relative eats a healthy diet is very important as they get older. As we advance in years, we may lose our appetites a little, but our bodies need fuel all the same.

Although ready meals are handy, practical, and can be cooked very quickly with little preparation, they contain an abundance of sugar, salt, and preservatives, which are not beneficial for our health.

If possible, batch cook and freeze fresh and healthy meals packed with nutrient-dense vegetables.

Fruit, whole grains, and beans are extremely good for our digestion and overall health, so don’t scrimp on the good stuff. If you want to add extra calories, nuts, seeds, and avocados are packed with healthy fats and are calorie-dense.

Grabbing a bar of chocolate may seem ideal for a quick sugar or energy burst, but a healthier alternative is always a better option.

Medical alert systems

If you are looking for complete peace of mind, 24-hour monitoring might be just what you need. There are loads of medical alert systems to choose from, each offering a range of features to suit differing budgets.

Many systems work with the service user wearing a watch or neck strap – both of which are activated by pushing a button which, in turn, triggers an alarm.

Other systems work by voice activation, which is particularly useful if someone has had a trip or fall and is injured or unable to move.

If it’s a service you may be interested in, spend a bit of time comparing the functions and ease of use, and you should be able to find a device that ticks most, if not all, of the boxes.

A functional bed

If your relative has mobility issues, whether they can safely get in and out of bed may be one of your primary concerns. If this is the case, it may be worth looking into mobility beds designed for the elderly and infirm.

They work by way of remote control and can alter the position of the mattress at the touch of a button.

As well as making it easier to get in and out of bed, they are also great for maneuvering parts of the body such as the knees or neck to aid a more restful night’s sleep.

Smart home technology

Although smart home technology may be a daunting concept, many products can make life a whole lot easier for the elderly.

Virtual assistants such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa make it easy to control various things around the home with voice activation.

From switching on lights to controlling the temperature around the house, there are several ways that smart technology can make day-to-day life a lot easier.

It may, of course, be a learning curve to begin with, but once they get used to it, it should become second nature.

Virtual assistants can also help the user create shopping lists or set reminders and alarms, which can help create a feeling of independence.

Technology can be daunting, but it can also be highly beneficial regardless of how old you are.