![]() Since your mom started using a walker, she's not exercising as much. You know it's important, but she finds the exercises she enjoyed are simply too hard now. How can you get her to exercise? Go For Walks It sounds simple, but walks are the best exercise for someone with a walker. She does need a level surface. This may mean walking laps around the house, going outside and walking up and down her driveway, or walking the halls in an apartment building. What does she do if she doesn't have level areas around her home? What if she doesn't have a layout that's suitable for walking? Take her to a mall or nature park that has boardwalks, accessible trails, or paved paths. Chair Exercises Have your mom work out from a chair. Chair exercises are easy-to-follow routines that you do from a seated position on a chair. Some of the popular exercises she can do are leg lifts, arm lifts, and stretches. There are chair exercise programs for Yoga and Zumba. She can find many of these programs on sites like YouTube, which makes it easy to do at home. Swimming If your mom can swim, a pool is a great way to get exercise when balance or stability are issues. The buoyancy in a pool takes the strain off the joints and muscles, which makes it easier to do. Someone will need to help your mom get in and out of the pool. Once in the pool, a float can help support her while doing leg exercises. Walker Lifts If your mom's balance is okay, walker lifts help build upper body strength. She'll stand straight, lift her walker a few inches off the ground, hold it for a count of five, and set it back down. She wants to repeat this as many times as she can before she's feeling too tired to continue. Sit and Stand One way to build leg strength is by having your mom sit down with the walker in front of her. She stands up using the walker for support and slowly sits back down. Someone should stand in front of the walker to make sure it doesn't shift while she's standing up. Have you considered having a home care services aide help encourage your mom? She can have someone helping her out with daily fitness routines and cheering her on when she's having a harder day. Make a call to discuss the rates and home care services that can improve your mom's life. If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Wilmette IL, contact the caring staff at Gentle Home Services. Call today (800) 860-9823. ![]() According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 7 million Americans over the age of 65 experience depression every year. Although it’s a common and serious mood disorder, it is not a natural part of aging. Depression, ultimately, affects one’s ability to perform the everyday activities of living. Change “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”—C.S. Lewis. Change affects everyone. For those in their senior years, however, change can feel relentless. From chronic diseases to changes in their household environment and the people they love, change can feel like a never-ending shadow in one’s midst. The sun begins to dim, the smile fades and a progressive melancholy takes over. The Signs In many people, the symptoms of depression can be easily detected. They will exhibit extreme sadness and talk about problems and difficulties as if there were no solutions. Hope has disappeared. You notice increasing apathy and the reluctance to go out and socialize. In the elderly, the signs of depression may not be so noticeable. Surprisingly, sadness is not always reported in a senior experiencing depression. For those in their elder years, complaints of a stomach ache, headache, or other types of pain may be their primary symptom. They may complain of difficulty sleeping and appear increasingly irritable. Other symptoms associated with depression in the elderly include difficulty concentrating, increasing fatigue and slowing down when moving and talking. Diseases Depression may occur in conjunction with other diseases such as cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or stroke. Any chronic disease that is painful, disabling, or life-threatening can lead to depression. The medications your aging family member takes for their various diseases may also be a contributing factor. If you suspect depression has entered your parent’s life, call their physician or psychiatrist right away. According to WebMD, only 10 percent of the elderly population that is depressed receives treatment, and yet depression can have serious consequences, including an increased risk of heart disease. How to Help Due to the possibility of drug interactions and the susceptibility of the elderly to the side effects of drugs, many physicians will begin psychotherapy and lifestyle changes before intervening with medications. You can help by being there to support them through their many changes and help them make the necessary lifestyle adjustments. This may include getting them into a regular routine that includes 30 minutes of a daily exercise that they enjoy and a healthy diet loaded with fruits and vegetables and limited in processed foods, alcohol and nicotine. Come up with activities that they’ll consider joining in such as lunch at their favorite café, a stroll through the neighboring green space, or a local class in Tai Chi. Home Care Services Provider It’s important for someone under the spell of depression to have someone by their side and remain socially engaged. Consider obtaining the services of a home care services provider. They can assist with daily tasks, prepare healthy meals, run errands, and join your aging family member on social outings and on neighborhood walks. Resources: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-elderly#1 http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/elderly-and-aging#Overview1 If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Wilmette IL, contact the caring staff at Gentle Home Services. Call today (800) 860-9823. |
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