Occupational therapy for seniors

Occupational therapists use exercise and rehabilitation techniques to help seniors successfully achieve their daily life activities. Occupational therapists can also recommend home modifications, equipment and tips to help families create a safer, healthier environment for their loved ones.

But therapy doesn’t have to be complicated, or a chore. Enjoyable activities such as knitting, doing crossword puzzles, reading, taking a walk or playing cards can help seniors retain and improve fine motor skills, mobility, strength and mental acuity.

Mobility: An occupational therapist can come into a home and make suggestions for modifications and equipment that will aid mobility and help prevent falls and other injuries. These home updates can include simple additions such as grab bars and handrails, slip-resistant flooring, walk-in shower or bathtub or even a power-lift recliner.

They’ll also help make sure the home is arranged and kept in a condition that enables mobility, such as a more open arrangement of furniture and getting rid of clutter. These small changes can help seniors feel safer and more confident.

Vision: Vision loss can affect all other aspects of a senior’s life, from their mobility to their emotional health. An occupational therapist can work with your loved one using exercises and activities that won’t improve their eyesight but will give them better use of the sight they have through better visual awareness and perceptual skills.

In the home, simple changes such as brighter lights, removing clutter and adding visual aid equipment such as magnifiers can help seniors stay in their own homes longer as their vision declines.

Cognitive issues
During early stages of memory loss, an occupational therapist can assesses a client's cognitive abilities and works with the family to address any changes in their behavior or personality.

Seniors with memory loss often show improvement through adaptation and compensation techniques such as using lists and other prompts to aid recollection. An occupational therapist can recommend safety features for the home as well, such as monitoring and alarm systems to help prevent seniors with dementia from wandering.

Your Belvedere Home Care caregiver can help your loved one achieve their occupational therapy goals and help maintain any household modifications recommended by your occupational therapist. We love to see our seniors thrive and want them to be happy and healthy in their own homes for as long as possible.

For more information, visit www.belvederehomecare.com.