A new year is coming quickly, and while much of the focus for shoppers will be on buying presents and planning holiday meals, there’s a smaller but still important activity coming up which is closely associated with the new year.
Most people make some kind of resolution at New Year’s time, because they don’t want to repeat the mistakes of the past year, or because there’s some aspect of their lives they wish to do better at.
In the case of senior citizens, coming up with New Year’s resolutions can be particularly meaningful, because they’re taken more seriously, and can really impact the life of a senior. Below, we’ll be providing some of the most useful resolutions that a senior might consider for the new year, and any of these can be recommended to your own senior loved one when you have a discussion about it.
Practice fall reduction
Slips and falls are some of the most common injuries that older adults can encounter around the home. Establishing some safety rules in the household can help to reduce the risk of a fall and all the health consequences that might follow.
Practicing fall reduction involves removing as much clutter from the household as possible. It also entails being on the lookout for problem spots such as wires that might be tripped over, rugs that could cause a fall, and narrow hallways that need to be cleaned up.
Anything that makes it safer to navigate around the household can be considered a fall reduction step. Some good examples are hand grips in the shower or bathroom, non-slip surfaces in the tub, and railing around staircases for seniors.
Make sure your senior’s medical alert system works, and that the subscription is kept up to date. Provide canes or walkers within the reach of your senior at all times, and make sure these are kept in serviceable condition.
Improve home safety
Anytime an individual chooses to age in place in their own household, there should be a safety evaluation of the entire home, and some tasks should be identified that will improve home safety.
First of all, you should check on smoke alarms and their batteries. Then you should check the cords of all your electrical appliances on a regular basis, and replace any cables that have gotten old or frayed.
Verify the status of any security systems you have installed around the home, and ensure that any CCTV you have set up is fully functional.
It’s also a good idea to establish a home safety checklist that will keep everyone in the household updated on safety measures that should be observed by all concerned.
Healthier lifestyle
This is routinely one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions adopted by seniors, and as it turns out, it’s also one of the most difficult to achieve.
In order to actually accomplish any resolutions set forth about a healthy lifestyle, you should encourage your senior loved one to take small steps toward that goal rather than trying to accomplish it all at once.
One of the biggest aspects of a healthy lifestyle is the diet of your senior, so help them to eat more fruits and vegetables, more fiber, and to replace processed foods with foods that include whole grains. More lean meats should be included in the diet such as tuna, chicken, turkey, and shrimp.
This will limit harmful, fatty foods from the diet and replace them with beneficial choices. It’s also a good idea to include dairy products and healthy fats such as canola oil and olive oil rather than lard or butter.
Another big aspect of a healthier lifestyle is exercise, and you should definitely encourage your senior loved one to do some type of exercise every day. The CDC recommends doing 30 minutes of exercise at least five times each week, and the best way to get there is to start small and incrementally increase your output.
The final aspect of a healthy lifestyle that your senior might want to make a resolution about is getting more sleep. Of course, this can be difficult, since sleep typically is harder to come by for seniors who are more sedentary. Exercising may help in this regard since it tires you out enough that you may sleep better at night.
Home renovations
If your home isn’t already set up to accommodate elderly people, you may need to make a few tweaks or renovations to make it safer and more accommodating. One way you can do this is to make sure that all areas of the house are well-illuminated, so there are no dark areas a senior has to walk through.
If necessary, doorways and hallways should be widened for easier access, and if wheelchair access is necessary, you may need to install some ramps.
Railings and grab bars should be installed along stairways and in bathrooms so accidents can be minimized, and of course, a safety evaluation should be done to prevent slips and falls around the household, especially in the bathroom.