When it comes to ageing, it can be scary and upsetting but it doesn’t have to be. Many elderly people worry that they will become a burden on their family or that they won’t be able to do the things they used to do such as gardening, cooking, cleaning or even something as simple as going up and down stairs. While all of these are very real possibilities, it’s not the same story for any two people and so ageing can likewise be a wonderful experience that can be cherished as well! Here are just a few of the ways you can make small adjustments in your routine, your home and your life in order to make ageing as stress free as possible.
Home Renovations
Home renovations seem like a drastic step just to make ageing more comfortable, but some renovations can be integral to keeping the full use of your home. You can certainly keep your independence with a stairlift, allowing you to use all the floors of your home as your mobility wanes, regardless of age. After all, many people these days have bone and joint issues even if they aren’t elderly from doing heavy duty work their whole lives. Stairlifts can help everyone so you don’t need to worry about those aching knees or hips anymore!
If you have stairs outside your home it can be difficult to change this, but you can have a ramp installed which will help make getting into the house much easier for you – regardless of whether or not you’re in a wheelchair.
Small Changes
A number of small changes can be made to help make everyday life easier. Move things you use a lot of to areas of the home that are easily accessible such as hallway closets or lower cabinets in the kitchen. Consider having a new cabinet or set of cabinets added in the kitchen to accommodate moves and changes. Other changes can include changing your bathroom mats to ensure their grips on the bottom are all intact to avoid potential bathroom falls as well as putting suction cup based wall grips in the shower for that extra bit of balance.
Heat More Often
As we age we tend to feel the cold easier, but also chilly weather does a number on bones, joints and muscles. It’s medically proven that heat helps with all these things, but short of moving to Arizona where it seems to perpetually be summer, you can keep your heating on more often even if it isn’t all that frigid outside yet. Even the smallest drop in temperature can trigger joint or bone pain, so consider turning the heat on sooner, keeping it on longer, putting it up a bit higher or purchasing a small space heater to help warm the bones. Blankets and thicker clothing also helps as do supports such as tensor bandages.
So there you have a couple of small things you can start doing when your bones start acting up. Whether you need something a bit more drastic like a home reno to help you as you age or you can get away with a bit of heat and a rest for now, there’s no time like the present to start thinking about ways you can help yourself stay comfortable and happy as you age.