Many aging adults don’t necessarily have any set general plan for their day. It’s great to be able to do whatever at a moment’s notice, but if your senior has no routine at all, she might be floundering a bit more than she wants.
What Are Routines?
Most people don’t think much about routines, but they’re really just a set of activities that are done approximately the same time every day or every week. Some routines are very loose and flexible, while others are quite strict and time driven. If your senior worked in an office, for instance, she likely had a very strict routine she followed. After retiring, her routine might have gotten a lot less structured.
Your Senior Needs More Structure Sometimes
The problem is that the human brain and body really do well with some structure. When your senior isn’t sure when she’s eating or when she wants to go to bed, that can leave her feeling a bit lost. Starting out with some light routines, like having meals at roughly set times, can be a good place to start. Your senior may even start to notice that she naturally becomes hungry around those times because she’s used to eating then.
Routines Help to Reduce Stress
Routines are great for reducing stress and even anxiety. They do this because your senior knows what to expect. That’s true even if she’s not consciously aware of it. Talk to your senior about how her routines feel as you’re shifting them. Some people have a “sweet spot” where routine helps, but if things get stricter, that suddenly feels too restrictive. You definitely want to try to achieve a balance.
Your Senior May Achieve Her Goals More Easily
One of the results your senior might like from starting to develop routines is that she might be more likely to achieve some of her goals. If she has health goals related to eating healthy meals, for instance, it can be easier to do that when she’s able to plan for and prepare those meals. And if she needs help doing so, then bringing in elder care providers can help even more. The idea is to make your senior’s life easier and better in whatever ways you can.
Routines are never written in stone, either. If your elderly family member decides later that her routines aren’t working for her anymore, they’re easy enough to adjust.
