Maintaining Physical Independence
Our cognition dwindles with age, but so does our body. In fact, our physical health often goes first. It can be hard to notice the small and gradual physical declines from day to day, which can make it difficult to know when we need to start asking for help. The relative rates at which our bodies start to give out are what separate us, and will ultimately determine when we need to relinquish responsibilities.
It can be hard to notice the sometimes slight changes in our own driving, responsibilities around the house, or taking care of our own activities of daily living (ADLs). Even when we are able to complete most tasks on our own, our physical limitations will only continue to increase. In order to age in our homes as long as possible and extend our independence, we will need to ask for help for tasks such as shoveling snow, cleaning the house, and climbing ladders. We call this interdependence.
In order to maximize our time of independence and interdependence, we need to ensure that our home remains safe for us as we age. In fact, the number one reason that the elderly are forced to move out of their family home is due to fall-risks in the house. It is unfortunate that many have to move out of their beloved homes due to an issue that could have been prevented. LMA can help to complete house reorganization while also pointing out the potential dangers that could be addressed to ensure the physical safety of an elder in their home. In fact, our certified Aging in Place Specialist can do a home assessment to determine the suitability of the home to accommodate an aging individual. By properly assessing and addressing potential safety issues within the home, it could greatly extend the time in the home. This can also result in a lower overall cost of end-of-life care by putting off assisted living or full nursing home care before it’s truly needed.
The value of the home may also be impacted as an elder physically declines. When tasks become physically harder, many elders stop taking care of their homes and properties, which can lead to both decreased home value as well as potential safety issues. Paint chipping, full gutters, and broken steps or siding may not be dangerous to the person living there but can help us to see that they are physically no longer up for these types of tasks. Passing off small, household tasks to a third-party can help the elder to continue to feel proud of their home while remaining inside of it.
With age-induced physical restrictions, caring for oneself (ADLs) and the living space around them becomes a serious obstacle in daily living. LMA provides a hand-in-hand service that will evolve itself to any circumstance needed to guarantee the easiest, most stress-free lifestyle for your loved one. The umbrella that is LMA covers the home decluttering and organization, coordination of maintenance, finding and facilitating third-party care such as home health aides, and everything in between. What we hope to achieve is not about what happened in your loved ones past, but rather using that information to form a streamlined, simpler future. Working with LMA means having another set of eyes and ears, and an expert viewpoint that can actually help to lengthen the time in the home. We are able to alert you to changes in physical appearance and/or health that may need to be further evaluated by a doctor or professional.
Physical health is just one piece of the pie that makes up healthy aging. When any of the pieces become out of balance, it affects the other parts. For example, becoming physically ill can decrease your daily activity level, meaning you have less time to pay bills or be social. The mental and physical health of your loved one is our utmost priority, but keeping other values in mind such as financial, emotional, and social state is what sets us apart.