Why Isn’t Your Elderly Loved One Moving Around More?

Are you curious as to why your elderly loved one isn’t moving around as much as they usually are? Maybe they stopped walking when they normally go on morning walks. They may not be getting up out of their chair to eat as much as they should be. They may stay in bed longer than they used to. What could be causing them to stop moving around as much?

There are many things that could be causing this. Here are some reasons.

Elderly Care Pasadena CA – Why Isn’t Your Elderly Loved One Moving Around More?

Loss of Strength or Endurance

As someone gets older, they lose strength and endurance. This is a normal part of aging. However, it can be prevented or slowed down by moving around. With that being said, many elderly adults will stop moving around because they have already lost their strength and endurance. It is a vicious cycle. If you or elderly care providers want to help prevent this loss of strength and endurance in your elderly loved one to begin with, get them moving.

Fear of Falling

Your elderly loved one might not be moving around as much because they have a fear of falling. This might be because they have already fallen at least once. It could be because they had a dream where they had fallen and gotten hurt. Maybe they know someone else who has fallen and it scares them that they will, as well. Having a fear of falling might be causing your elderly loved one to stay seated longer than they should be. They are trying to prevent a fall by not moving. However, this is just causing them to be weaker and increasing their risk of falling when they do get up. If this is the case, talk to your loved one about what inactivity can do to them. Let them know they have a greater risk of falling if they don’t move.

No Benefits

There are many other elderly adults that just don’t see any benefit to walking regularly. In this instance, they may just feel it is better to stay sitting or lying down. If this seems to be the case for your elderly loved one, talk to them about all the benefits of moving around. Let them know it will help them keep their strength, endurance, energy, and health up. Tell them they will be in less pain if they are regularly moving around. You and their elderly care providers can move around with them to keep them active.

These are some of the reasons why your elderly loved one might not be moving around as much as they should be. If you notice that your elderly loved one is sitting down or lying down more than usual, now is the time to talk to them. Don’t wait because then they are at an increased risk of falling or losing their strength.

Sources:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3276215/

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care Services in Pasadena CA, please contact the caring staff at 1Heart Care Services today.