One way to help your elderly family member to deal with balance problems is to encourage her to begin an exercise program for aging adults. There are a lot of variables to consider before diving into the deep end, though. Read on to learn about balance help for seniors.
Talk to Your Senior’s Doctor First
Before you map out an exercise program for aging adults, it’s vital that you or your senior’s care coordinator talk to their doctor first. Your senior’s individual health concerns might mean that certain exercises are not right for her or that she needs to stick to a specific type of exercise for the best results. Her doctor can help you to determine all of that safely. Once you have that information, it’s a lot easier to tailor an exercise plan to your senior’s needs.
Consider Physical Therapy First
If she hasn’t been exercising, your senior might benefit from physical therapy before starting a more traditional form of exercise. Physical therapists can look at how your senior moves and walks and help to narrow down what might be contributing to her balance issues. With specific exercises that target those issues, this is a great way to provide help for seniors with balance issues.
Dance or Yoga Can Have Positive Benefits
Often aging family members associate exercise with something boring or difficult. But she can also do something that is a lot more fun, like yoga or dance. These types of activities do a lot to help your senior’s body learn to balance itself better and to grow stronger, but they do so without being boring or too repetitive.
Try Strengthening Exercises
Dance or yoga might not be your senior’s thing, and that’s okay. Strengthening exercises, especially ones that help to strengthen her core, can be just the ticket. Water aerobics, for instance, offers your elderly family member’s muscles resistance and helps her to avoid a fall while she’s exercising. Do some exploring to figure out what options are most appealing to your elderly family member. She might want to consider trying a few different activities to find the ones she prefers.
Something else that can help your senior’s balance issues is to have someone on hand at all times, just in case. Home care providers can be there when you’re not able to and provide balance help for seniors. They can help to ensure that your elderly family member is moving the way that she should and that she’s not taking unnecessary risks with herself.
If you or an aging loved-one are searching for senior home care in Pasco, please contact the caring staff at Solutions today. We serve the Tri-Cities and Surrounding Areas. Call 509-627-8575.