May is Older Americans Month
To recognize and honor all the ways that older Americans contribute to their communities, several organizations created Older Americans Month, observed each May. It’s an excellent opportunity for people to look at the needs of older Americans and take action to ensure that these wonderful citizens are not marginalized. Family caregivers can take advantage of the many resources available to keep their aging loved one healthy, happy and productive.
Family caregivers can focus on ways that their elderly relatives can increase their quality of life despite any challenges that have emerged in their lives because of age. Seniors are dealing with many life changes, from retirement and health issues to losing spouses and friends. As their lives change, elderly adults need more support than ever from family members, elder care providers and their community.
Providing support for elderly adults to live the best quality of life they can is the key to helping them stay as healthy and safe as possible. Many elderly adults are dealing with physical and mental health issues and rely on family caregivers to help them out with basic tasks because they can no longer live independently. Too many seniors don’t have the ability to perform basic daily tasks for themselves such as bathing, dressing, housekeeping, grocery shopping, and preparing meals. If they try to do these things, they run the risk of hurting themselves or others.
One of the best ways that family members can provide support for aging relatives is to arrange for professional elder care services. These in-home assistants step in and lend a hand when the elderly adult can no longer do so. When seniors have a hard time with their personal care tasks, they run the risk of injuring themselves, such as with a slip and fall accident in the bathroom. With an elder care provider, seniors don’t have to take all the risks or overextend themselves just to get through the day. Instead, they have a trusted professional standing by to help them when they need it.
Another way to support the efforts of Older Americans Month in empowering elderly adults to live life to the fullest is to become familiar with all the senior services in their community. Many cities have senior centers that focus on meeting the social needs of the elderly. Elder care providers can transport aging adults who can no longer drive so they can participate in everything from tai chi classes to luncheons. There are many different types of elderly services around, and family members should get to know which ones might enhance and enrich the lives of their aging loved one.
There’s no better time to focus on the needs of aging relatives than during Older Americans Month. Realizing that seniors are a vital and important part of every community and every family helps to validate them and boost their self-esteem. No matter what age or stage of life they are in, it’s worth taking the time to recognize the contributions of elderly Americans to society.
If you or someone you know needs help with elder care in Ada, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
Source:
https://oam.acl.gov/
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