Mental wellbeing of people living in care homes is as important as physical wellbeing. Ill health, bereavement, loneliness, losing independence, losing social contact after moving into a care home or any other change in situation can make older people vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and affect their mental health adversely. Instead of ignoring it thinking it is a normal part of ageing, steps should be taken to enhance the mental wellbeing of older people.
If you are running a care home, here are a few ways to promote mental well being among the older people:
- Help them maintain a healthy lifestyle: The health benefits of exercising regularly are numerous. Regular physical activity positively affects general health, mobility, and independence. It enhances mood and improves self-esteem. Any form of physical activity, like walking, dancing, yoga, is good for older people. Caregivers can ensure that people with limited mobility have assistance.
- Let them be meaningfully active: There is nothing like having a purpose of getting up in the morning. Volunteering not only helps older people stay active and engaged, but it also gives them a sense of accomplishment that comes from contributing to society. From cooking food for the homeless to tutoring underprivileged children, there are a lot of ways you can help the older people to lead a meaningful life.
- Promote social interaction: Being away from family and friends can be lonely and depressing. Isolation can adversely affect mental wellness. One of the best ways to encourage older people is to organize group activities like singing, gardening and knitting groups. These group activities provide an opportunity for social interaction.
- Encourage reading and writing: Reading and writing can help older people keep their brains active. Both reading and writing can spark imagination and help to kill monotony. Keeping a journal of daily activities is also beneficial. Caregivers can encourage the residents to write an email or a letter to friends and family. It doesn’t need to be lengthy. Short and crisp emails can help them feel wanted and connected with the outside world.
By focusing on the needs of each person, care home staff can ensure the mental as well as physical well being of the residents. However, from helping some residents to get dressed to ensuring that medicines are administered correctly, the life of a professional caregiver can be hectic. To give caregivers some relief and to ensure error-free medicine administration, switch to eMAR, electronic medication administration record. It’s a smart alternative to paper-based MAR sheets which are time-consuming and prone to errors. It sends alerts to caregivers when the medicines are due and quickens the medicine rounds. Visit https://www.electronicmar.co.uk/book-a-demo/ to book a demo today.