People face unique health issues as they grow older. Home health care can help them live independently for as long as possible while avoiding disease and injury.
Here are some ways it can help.
1. Isolation and Loneliness
Older adults are at a greater risk of loneliness for a variety of reasons. They may be retired, and not have as much social interaction. They might have a condition that limits their activity. Their spouse may have recently passed, leaving them alone. In the current global situation, they may have no choice but to isolate to stay safe and healthy.
In all of these cases, social isolation can take a toll on the senior’s mental health and lead to depression. In fact, many estimate that over 7 million seniors 65 and older experience depression every year in the US.
Home health care can help with this by treating the depression in the home.
2. Minimizing Cognitive Decline, Especially Pertaining to Speech
Some cognitive decline is natural with age. Unfortunately, nearly 50 million seniors worldwide suffer from some form of dementia, with 10 million new cases being reported every year.
One area that is often affected by dementia is speech. Seniors may lose some of their ability to express themselves verbally. This can be amplified when living alone and not speaking much with others.
Fortunately, home health care services offer speech therapy. They can help seniors maintain their independence and their ability to express themselves longer.
3. Cold Weather and Exercise
Everyone can get hurt from falls, but young people recover much faster. Seniors, on the other hand, can suffer grave injuries from a slip and fall on ice. However, it is vital for seniors to get out of the house and get their daily exercise in.
Through home health care, seniors can develop a plan for exercising safely.
4. In-Home Fall Prevention
As mentioned previously, falls can be serious to seniors. Unfortunately, nearly 1 in 4 seniors in the US will fall each year.
Many of these can happen right in the home. A senior could fall down the stairs or trip over an object on the floor, especially if they have limited movement and if it is dark in the home.
Home health care services specialize in addressing these issues. They can evaluate the safety of a senior’s home as it pertains to falls and recommend ways to make the home safer overall.
VMT Home Health Agency has plenty of skilled health professionals on staff to help seniors maintain good health and their independence in their own homes. We offer skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy services. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
