Why is it important to maintain your independence as you age?
Maintaining one’s autonomy as one ages is very important in man’s life because it allows him above all to preserve his dignity. Indeed, being in the care of another person can make you feel incapable, which makes older people much more vulnerable. Dignity is essential to being a happy and fulfilled person, so it is important to preserve it by finding ways to be self-reliant, even in old age.
Then, maintaining one’s autonomy in old age also ensures a very good quality of life and maintains good physical health. The more independent you are, the more opportunities you have to do outdoor activities, travel, spend time with family and friends. On the contrary, the more dependent you are, the more you will be limited in these activities, because not only will you not have the strength to do so, but in addition, you will have to pay for the services of an assistant to do any activity.
In addition, autonomy allows you to carry out tasks such as cleaning your home, maintaining your body, plants and others. Imagine that you like to wash every day, but because you can’t do it yourself, you have to let someone else wash you 2 or 3 times a week. It is therefore essential to remain independent and autonomous for as long as possible. But how can this be achieved?
What are the strategies to adopt to maintain one’s independence as you age?
To maintain your independence as you age, it is important to take some practical steps today. The first strategy to follow is to adopt a very healthy lifestyle. Eat healthy, play sports avoid alcohol, stimulants and excess medication. All these measures will allow you to maintain good physical health for as long as possible.
In addition to physical health, it is important to maintain good mental health as well. To do this, find activities that promote the development of intellectual abilities such as intelligence games, learning a new language (or activity), practicing art, music and others. Note that the more your brain is stimulated, the longer it will be in very good condition. This will allow you to avoid brain degeneration diseases (Alzheimer’s, dementia, memory loss, Parkinson’s, Charcot, etc.).
Finally, one of the most effective strategies to adopt to maintain your autonomy as you age is to secure your living environment as much as possible. For this, you can make arrangements such as installing a stairlift available on www.un-monte-escalier.fr to prevent falls on the stairs. You can also declutter your home by removing any unnecessary furniture you may bump into. Don’t forget to install non-slip devices in the bathroom, kitchen and parquet floor (if you have one).
The older you get, the more you need to avoid accidents of all kinds. Your body no longer has the same capacity for regeneration as it did in adolescence. It is important to take this into account.
What are the aids for the elderly for sustainable autonomy?
In France, certain measures have been put in place to support the elderly in their quest for sustainable autonomy. They take the form of assistance in the field of health, mobility, social activities, management of daily life. These devices include:
- Home help services : they usually consist of having certain domestic tasks done by young assistants. They can also do your shopping and cook your meals to help you in your daily management;
- Personalized autonomy allowances (APA) : they consist of total or partial financing of the cost of devices to facilitate autonomy;
- Housing benefits : they make it possible to provide housing adapted to the elderly or to secure their own homes.
To conclude, it is important to put strategies in place to be able to maintain your autonomy as long as possible. Whether you do it alone or by taking advantage of state aid, it is important to start as soon as possible.
