Aging Gracefully and Safely: Maintaining Your Independence as You Age

Worrying about money, health and relationships keep a lot of adults awake at night. But the loss of independence? That’s a big one for the 65 and up crowd.

Independence and autonomy in older adults go hand in hand with those universal human fears: because if you can’t drive anymore, how can you make money to pay your medical bills or get groceries without having to ask for a ride?

You can’t stop the clock, and you can’t fully control what diagnoses or difficulties may come your way after turning 65. That doesn’t mean you just sit back and let it all fall apart, or resign yourself to moving in with your adult kids (unless you want to, of course).

Being independent also does not mean doing everything alone. It's about staying safe, capable and engaged in the ways that matter most to you.

As your abilities change with age, your understanding of independence should too. In fact, losing some things—like having to mow the lawn for 5 hours every Saturday—might actually give you more independence. It’s all in how you frame it.

So let’s take a look at ways to maintain independence—living life on your terms—through some practical adjustments and tools. Spoiler alert: at some point, you do have to ask for help!

Find New Ways to Get Around

From worn-out knees to vision loss, getting older can dramatically affect your ability to move around safely at home, or when you’re out and about. Here are three ways to boost your mobility independence:

1. Explore reliable transportation options like senior ride share programs, public transit routes, or ride-share apps like Uber or Lyft.

   • National Council on Aging’s Transportation Resources

   • AARP’s Guide to Free or Low-Cost Car Rides

   • Senior Accounts for Uber Rides

   • Lyft Silver

1. Keep your body moving through walking, stretching, and balance exercises. Regular physical activity that’s safe, relatively low-impact and approved by your healthcare provider is better for maintaining mobility than avoiding movement altogether (there’s a reason people say “use it or lose it”). We’ve done a few posts on this topic; check them out for ideas and instructions.

   • A Practical Guide on Joint Relief Plus 5 Easy Hand Exercises

   • How to Exercise with Arthritis

   • Why is Exercise for Older Adults Important?

1. Use a mobility aid like a cane or walker for long distances, uneven surfaces, or times when you could use a helping hand. These are tools for independence, so embrace them—don’t be embarrassed by them. Talk with your doctor about the best options given your unique mobility profile, or check out your local thrift store to “test drive” a variety of canes or walkers (you’ll often find a large inventory of these items there).

Staying Safe at Home

Home is where the heart is, but as you age, it’s also where the fall risks are! A safer home supports your freedom and self-sufficiency. Here are four ways to extend independence and reduce the risk of injury in your home environment:

1. Remove trip hazards. Prioritize steady footing over a cozy rug whose stubborn corners keep curling up. And create clear paths by removing clutter, especially in high traffic areas of your home.

2. Install grab bars in bathrooms (where the large majority of falls occur). It might not look attractive, but a broken hip is never in style.

3. Install brighter lighting in hallways and staircases, and make sure you have adequate lighting throughout your home. If you can’t see where you’re stepping, your feet may fail you.

4. Use non-slip mats, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. These are areas where soapy water or grease splashes on a regular basis. And since we don’t often remember to wipe up these spills—or we underestimate their impact—a little floor puddle can quickly turn into a big fall.

For more fall prevention tips and insights, check out our posts:

• Improving Balance and Preventing Falls as You Age

• 7 Expert Tips to Prevent Falls at Home

Reaching Out for Help

Asking for and accepting help are two of the hardest things to do—especially in our “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” society. But it is key to maintaining independence as you age.

• Start with your mindset: It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help or lean on others. Smart independence means seeking support for the things that are harder to do on your own.

• Think of the daily or ongoing tasks you struggle with the most. Is it heavy chores, like dragging a vacuum up the stairs or around the room? Is it running errands now that traffic and congestion is building up where you live? Is it using technology because it makes you feel inadequate or dumb?

• Once you’ve identified the things that are burdening you, let go of the feeling that you’re a burden and lean on your network, local and virtual. Remember this: People love to help. In fact, you might be one of them!

In your community, there are probably dozens of organizations and programs that are built for that very purpose—helping others. In your family and friend circles, there may be dozens of people just waiting for your request.

Reach out. No need to be stubbornly self-reliant when support is out there.

Using Technology to Your Advantage

Yes, it’s often annoying to learn and sure, it doesn’t always work perfectly, but today’s technology can be an absolute game changer when it comes to extending independence—especially in emergency situations when time is of the essence. Let these apps and devices bridge the gap between how quickly someone can help you when you need it without having to be in your home 24/7.

Here are four ideas for integrating technology into your daily life:

1. Learn how to use basic apps for helpful things like grocery delivery, transportation scheduling, and video calls with the grandkids or friends who live far away.

2. Consider Medical Alert systems for safety and peace of mind—it only takes one fall to change mobility in a big way, so wearing a small watch or pendant is a no-brainer.

3. Try smart devices like Alexa for medication or appointment reminders, or install Ring cameras around the home for security and safety.

4. Tablets and smartphones can be simplified for easier use. You don’t need to use the latest model of a device if all the bells and whistles overwhelm you. Have a grandchild or tech-savvy neighbor help you find shortcuts that make sense or hacks that help you navigate the most important functions.

Staying Mentally and Socially Engaged

Loneliness can be quite debilitating on all fronts. And the more weighed down you feel mentally, the greater the chances of impact on your overall well-being.

Getting involved in activities that have both social and cognitive benefits are a vital part of staying independent. Here are three ways to make vibrant connections:

1. Keep your mind sharp through reading, puzzles, classes or lifelong learning programs. And these are great activities to do with friends and family, so you get the added benefit of socialization with the brain boost.

1. Join something: From social groups to volunteer opportunities, dinner clubs or faith-based events, there’s a club for almost every interest and hobbyist out there. Find something that brings you joy and helps you feel like you belong—and you’ll be less likely to experience the isolation that comes with life changes like the empty nest, losing friends to illness or a move, or a diagnosis like dementia or cancer.

1. Know the difference between solitude and isolation: Not all of us are social butterflies. Thanks to technology, there are ways to stay connected without leaving the comfort of our own home. However, even shy people—or those who don’t have access to transportation—need to have healthy “real-life” relationships and places of belonging outside our four walls. Even if you don’t go out often, be intentional about leaving your home now and then to avoid isolation and experience the therapeutic power of human connection.

ArchWell Health Is All About Adapting to Age—In the Best Ways

Changes to our health do not have to limit us or diminish independence. Through creativity and an open-minded outlook, you can find ways to adapt and adjust.

Every ArchWell Health team member is all about supporting seniors living independently. Our healthcare providers, social workers, nutritionists, receptionists—it’s their mission to see their community’s older adults healthy, thriving and engaged. Come visit us at a center near you.