Upholding Dignity: Empowering Older Adults to Age in Place Gracefully

Treating seniors with dignity honors them and promotes independence by cultivating feelings of respect. The aging process can sometimes rob seniors of their self-esteem or place them in situations that cause them to lose their sense of dignity. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help your senior loved one age in place with dignity, even when they face health challenges that impact their abilities.

Be Supportive during Major Life Changes

Losing the ability to drive or experiencing memory loss can cause even the most confident senior to feel anxious or incapable of handling their daily needs. Reach out to your loved one during major life changes and offer to hear their concerns. Offering to find solutions for their new challenges helps your loved one see they can overcome the changes that accompany aging. For instance, showing your loved one they can still get around town by using transportation services can renew their confidence and sense of dignity.

Discuss Their Care Preferences

If you’ve ever balked at the prospect of being told what to do by someone else, then you already have an idea of how seniors feel when they’re informed about new care arrangements without being consulted first. Although you may know the end result involves your loved one receiving care, offering them the chance to provide input into what the arrangements should involve leaves their dignity intact.

Whether you need respite from your caregiving duties or your aging loved one needs overnight home care, Corio by Institute on Aging (IOA) can meet your family’s care needs. Our dedicated caregivers are available around the clock to accompany older adults to doctor’s appointments, ensure seniors take their prescribed medications, and help with a variety of tasks in and outside the home.

Offer Professional Assistance with Personal Hygiene

Many seniors love having their adult children help with tasks such as meal prep and cleaning the house, but your loved one might feel uncomfortable about having you assist with personal care tasks such as bathing. If your loved one has new care needs that include personal hygiene, offering to hire professional help can prevent embarrassment on their part while allowing you to maintain your current relationship roles.

Plan to Promote Independence

Sometimes simple changes around the house allow your loved one to accomplish tasks independently. For instance, your loved one might need to have cookware moved to a shelf that doesn’t require bending or stretching to reach pots and pans at mealtime. Or your loved one might be able to use a stair lift to get to the upper level of their home. Working together to promote independence and safety in your loved one’s home allows them to continue doing many things with only minimal assistance as they age.

For many families, hourly home care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Corio by IOA, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home. 

Demonstrate Patience in Your Interactions

Lashing out at your loved one out of frustration can destroy their dignity. Seniors should never feel like a burden or worry about how their needs impact their relationships. Partnering with a senior home caregiver is one way to avoid becoming overtired to the point that you get frustrated with your loved one. You can also plan extra time for activities to prevent your loved one from feeling rushed, whether you’re going on an outing or sitting down to enjoy a meal together.

Hiring a professional caregiver can allow you to take a break from your caregiving duties to focus on your health and wellbeing. If you’re the primary caregiver for a senior family member and are looking for professional home care in San francisco, Corio by IOA should be your top choice. Our dedicated and compassionate caregivers are committed to helping older adults address their health issues and enjoy a higher quality of life in the golden years. To hire a professionally trained caregiver for your loved one, call us today at (415) 750-4111.