Self-reliance is the staff to which elders must hold on to in their aged years. It is the fuel which power seniors to face life with confidence in spite of their numerous inabilities.
As they grow older, seniors find it difficult to do even mundane tasks like bathing, dressing, etc. This may be due to frailty, rigidity or some age-related ailment. Whatever the reason may be, seniors must be made to regain their confidence in handling their own day-to-day activities. Otherwise, they begin to feel depressed and dejected and this only adds to their geriatric issues. This is why it is vital to make elders perform their own hygiene and self-care activities and their daily chores despite their age, if they are able to. And this is the objective of occupational therapy.
What is occupational therapy and why is it a must for the elderly?
Occupational therapy is a form of holistic treatment which helps an individual to improve his quality of life by training them on meaningful life skills. This kind of treatment is a must for the elderly as elders lose the ability to perform their own daily tasks and self-care routine due to old age.
Seniors may suffer from decreased mobility, impaired mental ability, injury or illness due to age. This prevents them from performing their regular chores like bathing, dressing, grooming, etc, by themselves. Occupational therapy helps elders to regain the ability to be self-reliant and do all these tasks on their own. It restores their independence and salvages their honour and dignity which is more precious to elders than their dear life.
Occupational therapy allows elders to operate on their own, managing their daily chores despite their physical and mental shortcomings. This is done by addressing the elder’s condition in a holistic manner and offering suggestions and changes in their activity and lifestyle to help them manage their routine more independently.
How can Occupational therapy help seniors?
Occupational therapy is of invaluable assistance to the elderly and benefits them in the following ways.
Firstly
Firstly, Occupational therapy aims at helping elders to perform their daily hygiene and self-care chores like brushing, combing, bathing, dressing, etc. Elders with mobility issues like arthritis, mental issues like dementia or seniors affected by injury, might need additional training and help in performing these activities on their own and this is provided by occupational therapy.
Physically disabled seniors are motivated by occupational therapists to attempt to move using assistive devices like wheelchairs, walkers, prosthetics or orthotic devices etc. Physiotherapy and strength training are also imparted to strengthen their muscle and bones. Certain changes are also suggested in their home by occupational therapists to make the bathroom, restroom and other areas more convenient for them to move around.
Secondly
Secondly, physical fitness becomes questionable in the case of elders due to reduced activity and a sedate lifestyle due to age. This is also addressed effectively by occupational therapy as it trains elders to adopt an active lifestyle with a fitness regime by helping them perform their own chores. Elders are encouraged to perform their basic activities of daily living without external help by suggesting alternative methods to perform them. Range-of-motion exercises is also taught to seniors to improve their fitness effortlessly.
Thirdly
Thirdly, Occupational therapy is a great asset to mentally impaired elders. Elderly patients with dementia or Alzheimer’ disease is trained by occupational therapists to strengthen their memory through brain exercises. Their family is also taught to deal with them and make extra provisions for their safety like installation of alarms, GPS trackers, fences, stop gates or doors.
Occupational therapists also help elders with temporary or permanent dysfunctions to cope with the trauma emotionally and maintain a sense of total well-being. They help seniors to avoid stress, depression and anxiety by teaching them practices like yoga, meditation, mindfulness, etc.
Elders with vision problems
Elders with vision problems like glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal dysfunction might have a problem in moving around the house. Occupational therapists suggest certain proactive steps to help them overcome this hurdle by pasting neon signs near staircases or doors to alert them. They also recommend using fluorescent stickers are on domestic gadgets like microwave or dishwasher to help elders operate them. Colour-coding of medication in bright neon colours is also a way to help them take their own mediation rightly.
Home Modifications
Apart from this, occupational therapists also suggest home modifications to prevent fall in elders. They recommend the installation of handrails, grip bars. anti-skid flooring etc in all bathroom, staircases, etc and insist on the provision of a home-monitoring and alert system to signal emergencies.
Over and above all this, an occupational therapist assesses an elder’s condition and recommend the use of 24×7 caregiver. They also impart training to the caregiver and apprise them of the elder’s specific needs. Occupational therapists help to build a cohesive bond between the elder and caregiver to foster the well-being of the senior.
Independence is indispensable to elders, especially in their advanced years. Help seniors enjoy their ageing years with total independence and confident self-reliance by imparting occupational therapy to them.
