Promoting independence
Older adults are scared of losing their independence more than they fear death.
Promoting independence in self-care can provide older adults with the capability to maintain independence longer and can leave them with a sense of achievement when they complete a task unaided.
Older adults that require assistance with activities of daily living are at a greater risk of losing their independence with self-care tasks as dependent personal behaviours are often met with reinforcement from caregivers. It is important for caregivers to ensure that measures are put into place to preserve and promote function rather than contribute to a decline in status of an older adult that has physical limitations.
Caregivers need to be conscious of actions and behaviors that cause older adults to become dependent on them and need to allow older patients to maintain as much independence as possible. Providing information to the older patient on why it is important to perform self-care may allow them to see the benefit in performing self-care independently.
If the older adult is able to complete self-care activities on their own, or even if they need supervision, encourage them in their efforts as maintaining independence can provide them with a sense of accomplishment and the ability to maintain independence longer.
Elderly-friendly interior design plays a vital role in promoting independence among senior people.
One great example for this can be integration of Internet of Things in residential interiors. Smart homes have a plethora of sensors in the house to monitor patterns of an individual. It provides remote monitoring system which allows caregivers to keep a track of the daily activities of elderly even from distant places. Due to this, adults can live on their own confidently knowing the fact that a feedback alarm will be sent to their caregivers immediately in case of any emergency.
This not only allows the aging population to maintain their independence and confidence, but also brings peace of mind to their friends and family.
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