The elderly have given a lot to our society, so it only fits us to provide a loving and caring community. Through various programs and initiatives, you can make this happen slowly but surely in your community.
The US is home to one of the highest populations of the elderly in the world. There are about 40 million people in the overall population who are 65 years and older, and most of them are struggling to live alone. The government has started various initiatives to help communities care for the aged in the neighborhood. One of them is the Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force, which was established in 2009.
The Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force
Alzheimer’s is a disease that is plaguing the older generation in the US. About 5 million people are living with Alzheimer’s in the US alone. Most of them are seniors who receive minimal care. The Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force (ADTF) aims to be the frontliners in this growing epidemic to ensure that these seniors get the proper care they need against such a disease.
Getting in contact with this task force should help your community handle any seniors with such a disease. It can also make it more resilient against it. Know that there are experts who will be watching over your community. Furthermore, their knowledge can also help many families handle and cope when one of their elderly gains Alzheimer’s during their later years.
However, experts believe that another way to treat Alzheimer’s or stop it entirely is through better healthcare in our communities.
Better Home Care
It’s quite true that some seniors don’t like being in hospice. For this given population, you must improve general home health care in your community. This service is highly sought out by family members who can take care of their seniors but sometimes don’t have the time for it.
Improving this service is important if you want the elderly to stay safe in their homes. You can do this by partnering with local hospices for free checkups or maybe promoting their services in your community. This is great for seniors who want to stay at home with their families instead of living the rest of their lives away from them.
Gain Telehealth Services
Telehealth is becoming pretty popular nowadays, mainly because of the pandemic. However, it’s such an aspect of healthcare not only meant to handle the virus but also to make healthcare accessible, especially to the seniors who need it.
It’s great to have telehealth services for your community because seniors only need to video call to get their checkups instead of going to the hospital or the clinic, which might leave them vulnerable to the virus. It’s a safe way to get the elderly the help their need, especially in rural areas of the US.
You can gain telehealth services by contacting the nearest health insurance provider in your community. They can handle the process of signing up the elderly into their telehealth services.
Start a Local Task Force to Help the Elderly
Another way you can make your community safer for the elderly is by having a local task force that can help them with mundane tasks such as garbage disposal, dog-walking, and lawn care every week.
Many seniors have to do a variety of tasks by themselves. These tasks can be inherently dangerous especially if it requires a decent amount of mobility. This is where the younger generation can come in.
The younger generation can offer to do these services once or a couple of times a week. It’s one way to reduce the things that seniors have to do that might expose them to danger. It’s also one way to check on them once in a while.
Strengthen Faith in Your Community
Many seniors in the US are highly religious. By strengthening the faith in your local community, you can give them hope and a place to visit whenever they need to socialize.
Faith is one thing that brings a community together, regardless of their age. It can create an organic support system where seniors can find new friends and acquaintances. It will help them socialize while also practicing their faith with others. It can also bring the community together and make everyone aware of each other’s presence.
The community plays a big role in keeping the elderly safe. By having these programs and initiatives, you can ensure that the elderly in your community are physically, mentally, and socially healthy. It will also help you keep tabs on them to ensure that nothing bad happens in their lives.
