Could Occupational Therapy Really Benefit Your Elderly Parent?

Elder Care in Toronto: Could Occupational Therapy Really Benefit Your Elderly Parent?

Occupational therapy can be a fantastic addition to your caregiver efforts for your elderly parent. Whether they are suffering from extensive challenges and limitations, or only have a few minor needs, this type of highly personalized therapy can help them to overcome these in a way that is beneficial and supportive to a better lifestyle as they age in place.

Some of the ways that occupational therapy can benefit your aging loved one include:

• Helping them to manage daily challenges. Most elderly adults deal with some challenges and limitations that reduce their function or limit their ability to participate in activities and engage in the world around them. Occupational therapy can teach them new skills and support modification of tasks and activities to help them manage these challenges.
• Reduce fall risk. Fall risk is very serious for elderly adults. Each year millions suffer from falls and many experience very serious injuries that can limit their functioning and even threaten their longevity. Occupational therapy can help them to prevent falls both by helping them to understand how to remain active safely, and supporting you in modifying their home to make it safer for them.
• Improve independence. Issues with mobility, injuries, arthritis, functional limitations such as hearing loss, and more can reduce your parent’s ability to live and function independently. This can be upsetting to them and diminish their mental and emotional health, as well as their motivation. Occupational therapy can help them to find ways that they can remain more independent during their later years. This includes working with you to find ways that you can assist and support them while also helping them to feel more independent and autonomous, such as preparing their own coffee or bathing with greater independence.

Starting elder care can be one of the most effective, nurturing, and beneficial decisions that you can make for your senior throughout the course of your caregiver journey with them. An elderly home care services provider can be with your aging parent on a customized schedule that is specifically designed to ensure that your loved one gets everything that they need, when they need it, while also supporting independence, activity, and engagement. This includes creating a highly personalized set of services tailored to your loved one’s challenges, limitations, and needs, but also their personality, goals, preferences, and lifestyle. This enables your parent to live the highest quality of life possible as they are aging in place. For you as their caregiver, this can give you confidence that they are receiving the support, nurturing, care, assistance, and encouragement that they need to handle their individual conditions and challenges, keep them active and engaged, and help the maintain a lifestyle that is fulfilling throughout their later years. If your senior is engaging in occupational therapy to improve their quality of life and functioning, this care provider can encourage your parent to keep up with the skills that they are working on in therapy and apply them to their daily living to help the improve their independence, function, and independence.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Toronto, contact the caring professionals at Staff Relief Health Care 24/7 at 905.709.1767.

Sources:

http://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy.aspx