Mobility is a big umbrella concern. That means that there are smaller areas underneath that might or might not be concerns for your senior. Understanding what she’s having trouble with helps you to get her exactly what she needs.

Indoor Mobility

Indoor mobility is something you might not consider, especially if your elderly family member has become adept at getting around without letting on that she’s having trouble. Pay attention to whether she’s leaning on furniture or holding onto things like door frames and walls as she walks. If you’re not seeing her walking much lately, there might be a reason for that.

Sitting Down and Standing Up

This is part of indoor mobility, but it’s a big enough concern to think about separately. If your elderly family member is having significant trouble either sitting down or getting back up again, that’s going to hinder her ability to do quite a bit for herself. Your elderly family member might have trouble with this if her joints are bothering her, if her balance is off, or even if she’s lost so much muscle tone that she’s grown extremely weakened. It’s important to get to the bottom of what’s going on, so talk to her doctor.

Outdoor Mobility

Outdoor mobility can range from what happens when your senior walks around in her yard or when she walks around anywhere in public. When your senior is away from home, she may not be as aware of where the sturdy surfaces are elsewhere. That might mean that your senior starts to avoid leaving home completely, because she doesn’t trust that she’ll be able to get around safely.

Stairs

Stairs are a particularly difficult challenge, even for someone who may have decent mobility elsewhere. In her own home, your elderly family member might start avoiding her stairs if it’s at all possible. Fear of stairs is very real, and if her balance is not very good, your elderly family member might decide that it’s much better for her to simply not use them. Talk to your senior about how you can make her stairs safer for her and easier for her to use. That might mean changing out the flooring for something more secure under her feet or even installing a stair lift.

Any time you have questions about your senior’s mobility and what that means for her future health, talk to her doctor. Something else to consider is that elder care providers can help immensely with your senior’s mobility issues. They can help her to remember to use assistive devices properly and be there to support her, just in case.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Elder Care in Greer, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116. Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.

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Edward Harrison

Founder at Heart of the Carolinas

Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.

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