Elderly Mobility Issues Guide: Warning Signs & How to Help

by Jon Pearce | 21st Nov, 2023 | Caring

When you or a loved one starts struggling with mobility issues, it can seem like a loss of independence. Your body feels different and no longer supports you. Unfortunately, this can lead to isolation as you find socialising, exercising, and moving around the home challenging.

Our mobility issues guide will help identify if you, or someone elderly, find movement challenging. We’ll also cover the best ways to support movement restrictions and how to reduce mobility problems.

1. What Causes Mobility Issues in the Elderly?
2. Signs of Mobility Issues in the Elderly
3. How to Assist the Elderly With Mobility Issues
4. Ways to Prevent Mobility Issues

What Causes Mobility Issues in the Elderly?

There are many different reasons people struggle with mobility as they age. Below, we have listed a few reasons that may cause movement restrictions:

• Arthritis – Arthritis is characterised by swelling and stiffness in the joints. It can be incredibly painful and prevents someone’s ability to move with ease.
• Dementia – The neurological disease dementia is common in the elderly, leading to forgetfulness and confusion. It can also psychically affect the person’s capability to move around.
• Loss of cartilage – As you age, the cartilage and tendons that help with joint movement and strength wear away. You may become weak and find it difficult to manoeuvre your body. For example, standing up from a chair or going up the stairs.
• Injuries – A severe or repetitive injury can cause restriction in movement. This can be due to it creating pain when you move. Alternatively, it could be weakened muscles from lack of movement while the injury is healing.

Signs of Mobility Issues in the Elderly

There are signs and symptoms to look out for if you or a loved one struggles to move independently.

Episodic Mobility Issues

Episodic mobility means episodes of movement issues. A person may be capable most of the time, but occasionally, they find daily movements challenging. For instance, they need assistance getting up off the sofa, or they struggle to walk independently.

Early Signs of Arthritis

Arthritis is swelling and inflammation in the joints, such as the knuckles, elbows and knees. The affected areas can be red, and the person will have limited movement and joint pain.

Loss of Mobility in Legs in Elderly

It’s not unusual for an older person to have full upper-body movement but suffer from a lack of leg function. This is identified by needing an aid to walk, avoiding the stairs and finding sitting and standing difficult.

Feeling Dizzy

When a person is unstable or has mobility issues, it can cause dizziness. They could easily lose balance and can become prone to falling. So, if someone expresses feeling woozy, especially when moving, it could be an early sign of movement issues.

Avoiding the Stairs

If an older person avoids using their stairs at home, they may have trouble moving. They may also prefer taking ramps when out and about or steer clear of places with steps.

Staying in Their House

Elderly people naturally slow down and won’t go out as much. However, if they rarely or never leave, it may be because movement is strenuous. This can cause loneliness and isolation, so it’s essential to address the issue as soon as possible.

Finding it Hard to Sit Down and Stand Up

If an elderly person needs several attempts to sit down or stand down, or if it looks painful, they may require mobility support.

How to Assist the Elderly With Mobility Issues

If an older adult in your life needs assistance with their mobility, there are many ways you can help. Check out our top tips below:

The Best Method to Hold an Elderly Person Whilst Moving

If you are helping an elderly person move, you must protect yourself and them. Here are a few ways to support both of you when moving:

• Keep your weight close together – Someone with mobility issues will find it harder to move if you are far away. Too much distance is also strenuous for you, so stay close by.
• Maintain a firm grip – An elderly person may struggle with dizziness or imbalance, causing them to wobble and trip. Ensure you hold them firmly to pre-empt any unexpected slips.
• Bend your knees and have a straight back – Reduce the risk of injuring yourself when supporting an elderly person. Keep a straight back and a slight bend in the knees, and take breaks as often as you need.

How to Best Assist The Elderly in the Bathroom

Bathrooms are a treacherous place for older people with mobility issues. They are often wet and slippery with a hard surface. This makes the danger of falling higher, but you can’t avoid a bathroom. So, here are the best methods to help an older person navigate the bathroom.

• Get a walk-in shower or bath – Walk-in showers or walk-in baths don’t have a step, ideal for someone who has trouble lifting their legs.
• Install grab rails – Grab rails are supportive bars you can place around the bathroom for a person to hold onto. They’re a great option to help the elderly when getting up and down or if they need stability when moving.
• Use shower chairs and stools – Having somewhere to sit in the shower is perfect if you need a place to rest or have balance and mobility problems.

How to Best Assist The Elderly Around Their House

Daily tasks can become cumbersome and even painful if movement is challenging. But, there are some great options for helping the elderly around the home.

• Set up a stair lift – Climbing up and down the stairs is tough on the joints and increases the chance of falling. Stair lifts allow you to sit comfortably, creating independence without risk.
• Install grab rails throughout the house – Grab rails aren’t just for the bathroom. You can place them anywhere around the house where there may be a step. They’re also ideal to place near seating to help an older person get up and down with ease.
• Make everything within reach – Organise the home so all essentials are within reach. That includes moving items that require bending down or crouching. You should also ensure nothing is too high up or needs excess stretching or a stool.

Ways to Prevent Mobility Issues

It’s perfectly natural to have reduced mobility when you age. However, there are several things you or a loved one can do to slow down the process.

• Exercise – When you don’t exercise, the muscles around joints weaken and can waste away, but regular movement keeps muscles strong. It doesn’t have to be a strenuous activity, but something light—for example, gentle yoga or walking.
• Balance classes – There are classes explicitly geared towards the elderly who struggle with mobility. Muscle weakness increases fall risk, which can be dangerous. However, balance classes target areas of the body to enhance strength, balance and mobility.
• Maintain a healthy weight – It’s easy to put on weight when sitting down a lot. However, this causes extra strain on your joints, making it more painful to move around. Ensure everyone eats a healthy and nutritious diet to prevent added weight.

Ease Mobility Issues With Mobility Plus

You and your loved ones don’t have to suffer in silence with mobility issues. We specialise in bathroom installations and provide guidance to choose items that create stability and safety for the elderly. Move with ease with Mobility Plus.

Rural loneliness – what is it & how can we combat it?

by mobilityplus | 15th Mar, 2021 | Caring

Loneliness can affect us all, but is it more prevalent for countryside dwellers? We take a deep dive to look into the phenomenon that is rural loneliness and what can be done about it.

For many people, the thought of living in the countryside with its sights, sounds and community is idyllic, especially compared to city life. But in reality, for some people, rural living can be challenging. There are many challenges, such as access to shops or employment and barriers to socialising, which can result in rural loneliness.

Feelings of loneliness can cause people to feel empty, isolated, and unwanted. Lonely people often crave human contact, but their state of mind and personal circumstances can make it more difficult to form connections with other people.

Rural loneliness in Britain

In 2017, the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness was published as a call to action in response to the rising numbers of people in Britain experiencing loneliness. In fact, more than 9 million people, around 14 per cent of the population, have reported often or always feeling lonely.

Loneliness can, of course, be experienced in any location, even within a busy city; however, rural isolation appears to be on the rise and can be difficult to manage. In the past, country living revolved around the village pub, local shop, church or post office, however many of these have now closed either temporarily or permanently.  According to the Office for National Statistics, about 13,000 rural pubs closed between 2001 and 2018, while figures from The Prince’s Countryside Fund claim seven out of 10 villages in England no longer have a local shop. Furthermore, transport links are expensive and infrequent making venturing elsewhere problematic.

Loneliness can also happen at any time in a person’s life. However, it tends to affect people more in later life. This can be due to the loss of a partner or close friend, family members may live further away, or people could be experiencing ill health or a lack of confidence leaving the house.

The effects of Loneliness

Loneliness has far-reaching effects on both our mental and physical health. Research shows that loneliness:

• increases the risk of high blood pressure
• makes people more prone to addictive behaviours such as alcoholism
• puts people at a higher risk of developing a disability or chronic illness
• increases the chances of developing decreased memory and even clinical dementia
• makes people more prone to depression
• increases stress levels
• is thought to be more detrimental to our health than obesity and as bad for us as smoking

Loneliness is therefore not just a personal sadness, but a public health issue. This prompted a reaction from the government in 2018, who has since appointed the world’s first Loneliness Minister, committing to creating a specific fund and commissioning an England-wide strategy for loneliness. Many charities have also joined the campaign to end loneliness including Age UK, The Co-Op and The British Red Cross.

So far, this strategy has included a framework to connect social services and attempted to broaden the use of ‘Social Prescribing’; where professionals refer people experiencing loneliness to support like involvement in the arts or community groups. The Minister for Loneliness also rolled out a £1 million investment in a “Tech to Connect Challenge Prize” to fund innovative digital solutions to tackle the crisis.

Whilst these organisations are starting to combat the issue; there are other ways we can actively help to reduce loneliness in rural settings:

Become a volunteer

There are several ways to volunteer for your local community and beyond. You may choose to volunteer to provide support to local residents who need assistance with tasks such as picking up prescriptions, getting lifts to appointments or even cooking meals. The Good Neighbours Network can help you set up as a volunteer or find a network in your area.

Connecting people feeling the effects of loneliness together can be a fantastic solution. Befriending services up and down the country offer ‘matching’ arrangements where you are paired to someone in need of social support based on your location and interests. A befriender then regularly visits an older person perhaps for a cup of tea and a chat, or to accompany them to an activity (such as a trip to a café, park or the theatre).

With the national lockdowns, activities and meetups have been limited, but some people also enjoy volunteering over the phone. The Silver Line offer free telephone friendship services so you can enjoy chatting with someone over the phone, all from the comfort of your own home. Often the joy of regular conversation can make a huge difference to both parties.

Be more neighbourly

Starting small by merely smiling at people or saying a brief hello, rather than walking past can begin to have a significant impact on your own feelings of isolation. You may choose to send your closest neighbours a Christmas card or letter. If you would like it to, this could build into further conversation or even opportunities for activities and connection. It’s rewarding to connect with your neighbours and build that sense of community.

Take the community into your own hands

Some villagers are creating community-owned hubs launching projects to re-open cafes, shops, postal services, gardens and allotments. This has allowed people to have a focal point, a meeting place and a purpose. If this hasn’t yet happened in your area, perhaps you could be the catalyst!  MeetUpMondays provides advice for pubs and cafés wanting to hold free weekly coffee mornings once restrictions are lifted, whilst The Prince’s Countryside Fund offers funding to community groups.

Get active

Activity-based meet-ups allow people suffering from loneliness not only to connect with others but also to explore their interests or even try something new. Lots of rural areas have community programs set up to keep people connected. Options include choirs, walking groups, yoga classes, sporting or exercise groups, art & craft groups, baking groups and many others.

The Men’s Shed Association also came together as men typically find it more difficult to build social connections than women. Unlike women of a similar age, less older men have networks of friends and rarely share personal concerns about health and personal worries. This organisation provides a place for men (and some women) of all ages to come together both in-person and online, to pursue practical interests at leisure, to practice skills and enjoy making and mending.

Explore the internet

A fantastic benefit of the internet is providing a connection wherever you are in the world. Not only is it a fantastic place to find all sorts of resources and tools that will help you deal with your loneliness, there are also groups you can join on Facebook and other social media outlets to connect you with other people living in rural areas. Being tech savvy can benefit you very much in the long run.

Know where to find rural help

If you are struggling with the effects of loneliness, you should always try to reach out for help. Here are some places to look:

MIND – This fantastic charity provides help and support on a wide range of mental health issues. It has a network of local groups that offer counselling, befriending and crisis lines, as well as the Elefriends online community which provides a supportive platform for sharing stories and advice.

ACRE –  An umbrella group for the 38 Rural Community Councils in England who provide advice and funding to help small community projects. You can also find support in Wales through Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), in Scotland through the Scottish Community Councils (SCC) and The Rural Community Network in Northern Ireland.

Age UK – The people at Age UK charity have committed to combat loneliness offering a wide range of support. Services include assisting people in connecting digitally and becoming confident to do so through IT training. They also offer befriending services, day centres, social activities, lunch clubs and provide transport.

Independent Age – This website offers a free guide to download. It suggests things you could try, which could help to reduce loneliness, as well as information about where to look for more help.

At Mobility Plus, we’re specialists in creating accessible bathrooms for people who have limited mobility. Take a look at our range of Walk-in Baths and Walk-in Showers to make your homework well for you.