According to webmd.com, 9 in 10 adults over 50 live with one or two types of chronic diseases. Cases of high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, dementia, and poor vision increase the more people age. These conditions make older adults feel depressed and reliant on other people for simple things like cooking, driving, and cleaning. The work of an occupational therapist where older people are concerned is to help them with skills and equipment that will enable them to remain independent and self-reliant despite their old age and diseases. In short, you will be equipped with ways you can live a normal life and outsmart your age. Luckily, the government, as well as the health sector, in general, has recognized the role of these essential people in society, so occupational therapy jobs are in plenty.
Here are 5 ways an occupational therapist can help you after 50.
- Give practical ways to overcome daily challenges
There are many things that young people do without even thinking, but as you get older, they become quite a challenge. Simple tasks like using the toilet, bathing and sitting down can prove to be quite a task for an older adult with a chronic disease. The occupational therapist will come in and help you using exercise, rehabilitation techniques and alternative ideas that will make these simple tasks easier. Their job is to focus on what is possible not what is impossible. For example, some exercises can help you improve their range of motion, and you can also do crossword puzzles and Sudoku to sharpen the basic mental capacity and improve memory.
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- Recommend home modifications
The occupational therapist will work with a patient as a whole and even visit their home to see what can be done to make their life easier. If the patient is having trouble going to the bathroom, they can recommend installing walk-in bathtubs, grab bars, slip-resistant floors, and even power life recliners. These modifications will help the patient to be independent and not feel like they need to call someone when going to the bathroom.
- Help with loss of vision
Vision impairment is prevalent among the elderly, which is why most of them wear glasses. An occupational therapist can assess the situation and see in what ways the patient can be helped to see and recognize the things they use daily. For example, you can place bright orange stickers on buttons that are used to turn on the microwave, dishwasher, washing machine or cooker so they can see them clearly. Magnifying glasses will also go a long way in helping the patient see more clearly.
- Help with emotional wellness
Most people over the age of 50 are empty nesters who often feel lonely and depressed because there is no one around anymore. While a significant part of occupational therapy is physical, they also help the patient have a positive outlook of their life as it is now. They will equip you with ways you can still enjoy your life even if the children have left and you have aches and pains everywhere. Sometimes meeting up with friends, participating in games and sports can be very influential on your emotional state.
There are a lot of things that an occupational therapist can do to help people over 50 enjoy a full life. Sometimes they even get into helping with memory loss by using mental and physical techniques that an ordinary person wouldn’t think about. An occupational therapist is someone you should see even if you have not suffered any injury so they can assist you to avoid such painful instances.