Routine and structure can be helpful to seniors as they navigate their daily lives.
Having a daily routine means that the same things happen around the same time each day. Routines provide a degree of structure and organization and can make it easier for seniors to remember and keep track of the important things that they need to do every day such as take medication, exercise, eat well, and get good sleep.
Outlining a routine and helping seniors to get used to doing some of the same things over and over and the same time can help to keep their days running smoothly without allowing anything to get missed or fall by the wayside.
Making a routine isn’t about changing or controlling seniors’ lives, it is about taking the things that they already do and structuring them a little more. Having these routines and schedules for the day can help both seniors and those who care for them to feel more confident that everything is getting done as it should be. Being in control of what happens at what time each day can put a little power back in seniors’ hands as they navigate the ever-changing and often confusing world of ageing.
How Routines Help
There are many ways that a routine helps to improve wellbeing and quality of life for seniors:
- Security: With all the changes that come along with ageing, seniors often find themselves feeling destabilized and unsure. Adding a routine into the mix and setting things up in a way that allows seniors to always know at least some of the things that are coming in their day and when those things will happen can help increase feelings of security and safety.
- Health: Having some consistency in aspects of daily routine such as waking up, going to bed, eating meals, and working in relaxation at the same time each day can help put the body in a healthy rhythm. Knowing what things happen at what times can also remind seniors not to forget important health-promoting activities such as taking medications, brushing teeth, exercising, and more.
- Calm: There can be a lot of stress at play as seniors age and must continue to adapt to their changing bodies, minds, and lives. Having consistency in everyday life can help allow seniors to feel a greater sense of calm and to reduce the stress and anxiety that they might feel on a daily basis about how their day is going to go. A predictable schedule takes out some of the unknown and helps seniors to feel more at ease in their lives.
There is no ‘one-size fits all’ arrangement of time that will work for everyone, so there is always a bit of a period of trial and error as seniors and their caregivers work to determine what schedule and routine works best for them, but the results are so worth it. A routine helps seniors to know what is coming and what things they must remember to do, and also helps promote better health of both body and mind.
