For the overwhelming majority of our lives, we have lived autonomously. No one can tell us what to do, we live our own lives how we want to. For better or for worse, we have total control of our sleeping patterns, our eating habits and our financial planning. We often forget how important these things are as we age. They become normal and we can’t imagine living without the ability to control our own way of life. And yet, one day we will become old and that’s when we will need to question how important these things are to us. For the most part, older people want to be left in charge of their own homes, work life and personal responsibilities. You can’t blame them, no one wants to have their lives controlled by someone else. However, you need to contemplate the changes to your health, living standards in your own home and how you get around. If you want to remain independent you have got to start planning ahead when things get physically difficult for you. Your independence in old age is important.
Our home becomes the most precious asset we own when we’re old. It’s the one place in the world where we still remain the master. You might be retired or simply unable to work, so creating a home which you can use to fulfill hobbies and activities you love to do, is paramount to your happiness. Apart from that, you also need to make the home more accessible for your aging body. No one in their senior years wants to walk up and down the stairs. Not only do you have less physical strength but you could pose a danger to yourself trying to go up and down great heights. So, installing a chair lift is something you may want to consider. Maybe, move into a bungalow instead of a two-story? Simply installing a stair aid system whereby the steps are made shorter is also a great cost-effective way to make going upstairs less strenuous. Maintaining your independence in old age is important.
You might also want to make each room more accessible by creating an open floor plan. Rather than opening and shutting doors, you can have one large room downstairs with better air circulation. This also makes going from the kitchen to the living room easier when you have food and drink in your hands. If you move about in a wheelchair, an open floor plan makes life so much easier. Rather than having to reach up to the door handle and moving out of the way of the opening door, you have free access to everything.
If you live in a nursing home, you will know that the little things really do matter to your independence in old age. Someone else cooks your meals for you. Staff at the home also go into your room and clean it. You might be helped in the mornings to get dressed. The little things that make us individuals can be taken from us if we allow them to be. Although the staff at the nursing home have a duty to help you, if you want to do things for yourself it’s within your right. If you find that you’re not allowed to do these things because the staff won’t let you, this is something you should fight against. On rare occasions, some homes forcibly prohibit their residents from doing the little things for themselves. Sometimes it may even become physical as staff persist in trying to control your life.
If this is the case, you should contact a Nursing Home Abuse lawyer that can fight for your rights in a court of law. Some of the common abuses are physical abuse such as pushing and hitting. They may not provide you with or withhold proper food and liquids. A lack of proper medical care. Sexual abuse, financial abuse, theft and sometimes emotional abuse such as taunting and yelling. It’s important you express yourself and want to do the small things for yourself. You don’t have to put up with this kind of abuse and there are dedicated lawyers that know how to handle such cases if you ever need someone to help you.
When you retire from work you’ll have a lot of time on your hands. Rather than sitting at home and doing the same things over and over, do something creative. Don’t give up on your hobbies and interests. If you love to make artwork, you should clear a part of the home so you have the space needed to paint, draw and craft things. If you love to write stories and or poems, you should make a desk for you to work on. Maybe you want to make music, then convert a room into a place where you keep your instruments, music by other artists for inspiration and recording hardware. Uploading your music to YouTube is a great idea to share your creativity. So, having a small area in which you can record your live performances is also something to consider.
Woodwork and making things with your hands is so important to stay in touch with your skills and hobbies. You may find it in your best interest to have a shed or small workspace in your back yard where you can do these sorts of things. Workbenches, tools, equipment, safety gear and storage space are things that you should never take for granted when you love to create things. Convert your garage into such a spare, or perhaps erect a conservatory where you can do multiple different activities safely. Never lose your creativity and continue to be in touch with the things that you have always loved to do when you’re old.
In our old age, we mustn’t let go of our independence. Start off by making your home more accessible. Installing a lift chair is one of the simplest ways to make the upstairs and downstairs easier to navigate. However an open plan might serve you better, especially if you are in a wheelchair. Create a space in your home where you can continue to do the hobbies you love.
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