5 Ways That Aging Affects Your Senior Parent’s Mobility
Home care assistance can help seniors as they experience mobility issues.
If your mom or dad wants to continue living alone as they get older, their mobility matters. Seniors will experience some changes in their mobility as they age, no matter what their health is like. However, seniors with health conditions like arthritis may experience changes in their ability to move around that make living alone difficult.
Home care assistance can help seniors continue living alone even if their ability to get around on their own changes. With home care assistance, seniors can reduce the risk of falling at home.
Additionally, with home care assistance services, your mom or dad will have someone in the home to help them with things like getting in and out of bed, using the bathroom, getting dressed, and moving comfortably through the house.
Some of the ways that aging can affect your mom or dad’s mobility include:
Muscle Weakness and Loss of Strength
As your senior parent ages, they naturally lose muscle mass, a condition known as sarcopenia. This loss of muscle strength can make it more difficult to perform everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, or carrying objects.
Having home care assistance to help your mom or dad with things like cooking, housework, and doing other tasks around the house can reduce the risk that your mom or dad will fall due to muscle weakness.
Joint Stiffness and Arthritis
Many seniors experience joint stiffness and pain due to conditions like osteoarthritis. This can limit their range of motion and make movement painful, reducing overall mobility. Your mom or dad may struggle to grasp things like utensils, dishes, the handrail on the stairs, or a milk container.
As they age, seniors may also be unable to do things like button a shirt, zip up pans, or hold a toothbrush. Home care assistance providers are a way to ensure that your mom or dad has the support they need at home.
Balance and Coordination Issues
Aging often brings changes in the inner ear, vision, and awareness of body position, which can affect balance and coordination. This increases the risk of falls, which is something that you and your mom or dad want to prevent. Home care assistance can reduce the risk of your senior parent falling if they are living at home.
Bone Density Loss
Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by decreased bone density, is common among older adults, particularly women. Weakened bones can make seniors more prone to fractures, further limiting their mobility and increasing the risk of injury.
If your mom has been diagnosed with osteoporosis, she may need extra support at home to be safe living alone. There are some occupational therapy exercises as well as supplements that her doctor may prescribe to maintain her bone strength.
Chronic Health Conditions
Conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory issues can also impact mobility. For example, poor circulation, shortness of breath, or neuropathy can make walking and other physical activities more challenging. Home care assistance can help your senior parent manage any chronic conditions they have at home.
If you or someone you know needs help with Home Care Assistance in Cascade, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 560-4057 for more information.
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