Dr C: “Help older people to help themselves”

We’ve understandably been supporting elderly relatives throughout the pandemic, shopping and cooking for them, but experts say we’re accelerating ageing – and Dr C agrees

Experts in ageing at Strathclyde University have warned that older people are in danger of losing the ability to do daily tasks, because during the pandemic – out of kindness and care – they’ve been receiving extra help from lovedones. It’s something we need to be aware of, because getting old and frail isn’t a given, it’s about how we take care of ourselves throughout life, and keeping our independence is key.

CHANGE YOUR APPROACH

We’ve been doing older people’s shopping, dropping round their dinners, picking up their prescriptions, and walking their dogs, which was essential last Spring at the peak of the Covid crisis, but the downside is it can leave older people inactive and lonely. Occupational therapists are finding that people are falling more, and are getting weaker, but I’m not suggesting you withdraw your care, only change how you go about it.

GET THEM INVOLVED

We need to adapt, so rather than walking into your granny’s house and saying, “Sit down, I’ll make you a cup of tea”, or, “I’ll go to the shops for you, what do you need?”, get them up, and go to the shops together, or take them to the kitchen and make tea together. It’s about involving them, rather than doing everything for them. Remember, the one thing that elderly people tell us they suffer from most is loneliness, so just having someone to walk down the road with them is so important.

WALK TOGETHER

Research by Age UK has found that since the pandemic, one in three older people have less energy, one in five feels less steady on their feet and one in four can’t walk as far as before. You can see, then, that having someone to trundle around the shops with is huge. Going for a walk with a younger person, who they can link arms with and who they know could help them if they stumbled, will no doubt be very reassuring.

BE MORE PATIENT

Another reason we tend to do everything for older people – if we’re honest – is because it’s quicker; we can breeze into their house, whip up a cup of tea and hand it over in minutes, whereas if we invite them do it with us, it takes much more time. The question you have to ask yourself, if you’re in a rush, is are you doing this for them, or for you? It’s about being patient, planning ahead a bit and allowing time. All of us in healthcare need to be very aware of that, too. It’s completely understandable, but it’s not helpful.

STAY ACTIVE

It’s important not to be in the mindset that we’re all destined to end up old and frail – you can protect your body by eating well, keeping social and staying active. That doesn’t have to involve things like pounding away on treadmills and running around parks, if you don’t like that. Walking is really helpful, and cycling has been found to be really effective in keeping people healthy in old age. Research in older cyclists showed they preserved muscle mass and strength as well as having as many immune-boosting T-cells as young people. Simple stuff you can do at home for balance is key, too. Try to stand on one foot while you wash up or while you brush your teeth, and encourage elderly relatives to as well. Balance fades over time unless you keep it sharp, and it’s what protects you from falls.

PREVENT A DECLINE

We lose the ability to do certain things in a particular order as we age. Early on we’re still fit enough to go for a hike or a brisk walk. Then, as we age, it gets harder to do things like cut your own toenails, cook a hot meal or do some light housework. From there, we may

struggle getting up and dressed or eating independently. But that isn’t inevitable, we can hold off the ageing process by keeping up regular tasks – that’s why we need to fight the urge to do everything for older people.

FIND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Essentially, through Covid we’ve locked all our old people up on their own – for good reason – but now we need to help them get involved safely with socialising again. We’ve all got used to having much smaller social lives – myself included – so it will take a little while and a bit of encouragement to get them confident again.

Help your less tech-savvy relatives to find local social activities they’d like, because they may have been used to looking on the Post Office notice board or hearing from a friend, whereas you can find social activities and groups they’d like on your phone.

DISCUSS THEIR LIKES AND DISLIKES

Be careful not to stereotype, though. This idea that all older ladies just want to knit and that elderly gents want to play bowls is a bit patronising. Some older women might want to go to a pottery or cooking class – or maybe tai chi or Pilates – for example. Rather than assuming – and risking offending them – ask your elderly neighbour what type of class they’d like to go to.

KEEP THEM INDEPENDENT

The best lesson I ever learned in medicine was when I was at school and I used to work in an old people’s home. It was full of elderly people who sat all day in front of a TV, on plastic-covered chairs, with dinner served on their laps. I’ve never forgotten that as something not to do, because older people – like people of all generations – need to interact, to move and to socialise. Independence is key to a happy, healthy life, so help those around you to have it.