When an elderly person begins to lose his or her balance, it can be a threat to health and independent living. If you have a parent who lives on their own, it's likely that he or she wants to maintain this living environment for as long as possible. An effective way to bolster this independence is to talk to your parent about hiring a home health aide. This regular visitor can provide health services in the house to allow your parent to live comfortably at home. It's useful to talk to the aide about guiding your parent through some activities that can boost his or her balance. Here are some suggestions.
Dancing
Your parent might have danced years ago, but there's no better time to take up the hobby than now. Dancing can be an effective way for the elderly to improve their balance. By being up and moving around the room, your parent will begin to feel more sturdy on his or her feet, as well as develop better special awareness. Talk to your home health aide about clearing a room of obstacles, putting some appropriate music on, and helping your parent with some dance steps.
Weight Training
When an elderly individual is able to strengthen their muscles, especially those in the lower body, it can contribute to improved balance. Instead of arranging for your parent to visit a gym, have your home health aide lead your parent in some suitable exercises. There are a number of ways to strengthen the lower body without the use of weights, making these exercises perfect for the home. Things such as squats and lunges, as well as standing on one's tip-toes (with some support from the home health aide) can all lead to a stronger lower body that is more stable.
Yoga
By putting a yoga video in the DVD player or using a tablet with a yoga tutorial, your home health aide can help your elderly parent work on some positions. Yoga is an ideal way to increase one's balance, and the poses that your parent performs are also suitable for increasing his or her flexibility. When an elderly individual is more flexible, he or she will feel more stable—the opposite of feeling stiff and immobile, and thus not very sturdy while in the standing position. There are a number of readily available yoga videos designed for seniors and beginners.
For more tips or ideas, contact local senior home care services.
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