More and more seniors are deciding to age in place, which means they’re opting to stay in their homes rather than downsize into an assisted living facility, senior home community or nursing home.
According to the AARP, 90 percent of seniors intend to continue living in their current homes for the next five to 10 years. Of those, 85 percent say they can do this without major modifications to their homes. But about two in 10 Americans over the age of 70 say they cannot live independently without some form of caregiver assistance or home modification. From stair chairs to wheel chair lifts, Mowrey Elevator can help your aging parents or grandparents live comfortably at home.
Change is part of life.
It’s up to us to accept it and adapt. Part of adapting when you are in charge of your aging parents or grandparents is to modify the existing home to better accommodate their needs. They may not yet be so completely dependent on others that they must give up their home. Sometimes, they just need a little help with climbing stairs and getting around.
The loss of personal independence due to physical limitations can be tough to take, especially for an independent senior who is so used to taking care of themselves. But stair chairs and wheel chair lifts just make sense. They’re easily integrated into the home and they’re easy to operate.
A house that was easily navigable may now seem like a huge challenge. Installing a stair lift or stair chair allows them to safely get up and down the stairs so they can fully utilize all floors of the residence without help from another person. If they are wheel chair bound, wheel chair lifts can achieve the same goal: gaining access to various floors of the home through a simple elevator-like product.
Both pieces of equipment can also help them carry items between levels, such a laundry and groceries. A justifiable expense in today’s economy, stair chairs and wheel chair lifts can reduce the chance of falling and incurring high medical bills and long-term rehabilitation. You can also reduce or eliminate the cost of hiring a caregiver to help your loved one with daily tasks when you’re not able to.
Depression is another side effect affecting seniors who feel loss of control when they are no longer fully independent. According to a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as reported in LeadingAge, social isolation and feelings of inadequacies were linked with depression. Those symptoms of depression were found to be associated with decreased quality of life, reduced physical and mental functioning over time, and increased risk of arthritis, heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.
The simple use of technology in the home can lessen these effects, keep seniors more in control of their own lives, increase their quality of life, increase daily convenience, and lower the risk for falls. If you are the child or grandchild of an aging parent or grandparent and want to know more about how Mowrey Elevator can help, call us today or fill out our online form.