4 Factors that Affect the Health of Elderly People Living Independently

For most seniors, continuing to live in their own homes rather than being confined in an unfamiliar environment of a nursing facility is a common wish. Not only will staying at home be more comfortable for them, it also makes it easier for their loved ones to visit them anytime and for how long they need. However, when family members are living too far away to attend to their needs, some seniors have no choice but to live alone. But usually, that entails many issues, especially in their health and comfort, because at their age, living without any assistance makes it hard for them to perform daily tasks. To make sure that seniors living independently can have the quality life they wish for at their age, at Angelic Love Home Care, known as the top non-medical home care agency in Framingham MA, we provide the most comprehensive home care services that focus on improving the health and home living of independent elderly clients.

In order to find out how to improve the health of seniors at home, it’s important to understand the following factors that may pose risks to their health:

1. Lack of personal hygiene

   Personal care and hygiene are some of the most important things to maintain, regardless of the age. Not only will lack of personal care untidy and uncared for, it will actually make them more susceptible to viral and infectious diseases. Especially if the senior likes to go out in public, it’s important that they perform personal hygiene, especially before eating or sleeping, to eliminate any disease-causing bacteria that they may have contracted from an encounter with a sick person.

2. Immobility, disability, and injuries

   Physical issues greatly affect the standard of living of elderly people. When an elderly with a disability or mobility issues lives alone, without any assistance, they may not be able to do the daily activities that are important for their health, such as preparing healthy meals and personal care. Another important thing is the lack of physical activity that comes with having immobility or physical injury. Without any assistance and supervision, they may not be able to exercise regularly, which is important for their age, or at least go outdoors to relieve their stress and avoid being and feeling isolated.

3. Poor eating diet and habits

   One of the biggest problems of seniors living alone is malnutrition and this can be achieved in many different ways. Most seniors are unable to go out on their own so shopping for supplies and groceries will have to wait until someone, like a family member, comes along for a regular visit. But what if they run out of proper food to eat just behind schedule? This will force them to either to settle for whatever food they can find, since most seniors typically don’t put much thought on how healthy their diet is anyway, or skip meals altogether until the next supply. Their disability and physical issues will also lead to poor eating habits as it hinders them from working in the kitchen to cook proper healthy meals. That is why it’s important to have someone around all the time to supervise their eating habits, check the supplies and shop for groceries whenever needed, and prepare healthy and prescribed meals.

4. Isolation

   It’s a known fact that being alone and isolated all the time greatly affect a person’s health. Social isolation triggers extreme loneliness and depression, which is a factor that leads to many types of health condition. Isolation may also bring negative effects on a senior’s mental health and may cause mental health issues, such as Dementia and Alzheimer’s, common to elderly people.

As seniors continue to age, having proper home care becomes essential to their life. Having a trusted caregiver around, round-the-clock or a couple of hours a day, will not only help improve their health but also ensure their safety and promote their quality of life. For a reliable non-medical home care agency in Framingham MA that offers quality and cost-effective services, check out how we, at Angelic Love Home Care, can help at www.angeliclovehomecare.com.