February is National Senior Independence Month when we celebrate seniors and empower them to have the confidence and quality of life that comes with independent living.

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Throughout the month, we encourage you to spend some time considering the challenges presented as we age, and ways older adults can maintain their autonomy while living a high-quality life in the way they want to live.

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According to the AARP, nearly 90 percent of adults over 65 want to remain in their current homes as they grow older. The value of maintaining independence as we age is a high priority. The definition of independence is not requiring or relying on something else, the freedom from control, influence, support, or aid. Independence gives each of us a sense of purpose and the ability to remain independent and exercise autonomy is an important component to mental and physical wellbeing. What are ways that we can directly aid older adults to maintain independence? 

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1. Prioritize safety - Safety First! There are a number of precautions you can put in place to aid safety. Remove clutter and other tripping hazards, add handles, guardrails, and other stabilizers, and have technology in place that can be used one if your loved one should need it. 
2. Support social engagement: Connection is key to a happy life. Supporting your loved one’s ability to see friends, talk to and be around others will help maintain a sense of purpose and community.
3. Involve them in day-to-day activities: Giving older adults the same treatment, opportunities, and experiences that you would have given them twenty years ago gives the older adult the opportunity to make decisions and choices about their day-to-day living. 
4. Encourage exercise of both mental and physical activities: Keeping our brain AND body active is crucial to a healthy life. Physical activities such as water aerobics, walking, gardening, and yoga are great ways to move. Playing board and card games, doing puzzles, playing along with game shows, or watching their favorite sports team are great ways to keep mental sharpness. 
5. Utilize health-tech to aid mobility and independence: There are a number of different types of assistive health technology that can assist an individual’s independence; walkers, fitness trackers, hearing aids, and fall prevention devices are just a few examples. 

According to the World Health Organization, by 2050, the world’s population of people aged 60 years and older will double to over 2 billion. National Senior Independence Month is important to show that we care about our aging population, sets a positive example for our younger citizens on how to treat the older population, and helps us to create a more inclusive society for all. 

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Here are a few impactful ways you can celebrate National Senior Independence Month;

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1. Volunteer! Reach out to your local senior care, senior living, and nursing home communities. Spend time with older adults in your community for a rewarding experience for yourself AND for the older adult. 
2. Spend time with your older adult family members. Reach out to your parent, grandparent, or other older loved one. Invite them to dinner, ask to come over for a game night, spend time celebrating the relationship you have with them. 
3. Educate your network on opportunities on ways to make improvements to create a more inclusive society for all, including our aging population.           

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Our StrideTech Go, is designed to improve independence and safety using innovative walker attachment technology. Our company is fueled with the goal to help walker users feel more confident and safer, while also providing family members and healthcare providers the information they need to know the walker user is doing well. 

Learn more about our patented data driven fall prevention tool, Stride Tech Go.