Health Reminders for Senior

As people grow older, the care for them increases. We pay more attention to our parents' health like we never did. Their old age makes them feeble and weak. Their senses loosen up, their organs age, their power to heal slackens. An older person's health is as vital as any baby's. Like babies, older individuals should be looked after diligently. Proper care and attentiveness to their health can turn into longevity.

A healthy population is crucial for any country. It becomes more important here in the US, as 13% of the population is above 65 years. Therefore, we should teach healthy habits to our older citizens. A healthy and active community helps a country achieve not only its economic goals but also social goals as well.

On an individual level, we should strive to improve the quality of life of our senior citizens. They cannot necessarily do it themselves; they need our help in it. This is how we can help them:

Increase Activity

Old age weakens the will to be active all the time. An individual's speed of doing any work decreases in comparison to what it once had been. Their muscle strength reduces significantly and it becomes stricter day by day to be active. But older individuals can overturn this by systemic physical exercises. Physical exercise will be beneficial for muscle strength and would increase activity. Strolling daily in the morning or evening can work wonders, and the body can immediately sense its effects.

Habits

One has to gulp the fact that they are not the same person that they used to be. With old age, bodies don't cope up with our everyday habits. We don't get along with the usual routine with which we related so smoothly. Our bad habits, which did lesser harm to us as a younger person, do us more harm than ever. If we didn't let go of our bad habits as a youngster, old age is an excellent time, to begin with. We have to accept those smoking cigarettes and consuming liquor won't do us any good. We have to change our habits for our bodies have changed. One has to pay more attention to their lifestyle as they age. Our daily habits need a significant change.

Metabolism

It's no surprise for an older individual to hear from his loved ones what to eat and what not to eat. As we age, our metabolism decreases. We cannot eat anything and everything. Not everything that we eat moves along as swiftly as it once used to be. If we eat carelessly, our bodies take the damage to it. If we eat more then inevitably, it will result in high weight. It gets difficult for our bodies to burn calories. The metabolic rate decreases significantly; hence we cannot eat anything and everything. As an older person, one must abide by healthy eating habits. Physical exercises can help in losing fat and increase muscle strength.

Stress

With age increases an individual's responsibilities. One thinks after working all his life tirelessly, they should get rest in old age, but that never happens. Pressure doesn't go away from the mind effortlessly. The aging process quickens its pace with a stressful mind. Nothing harms your mind more than your stress. It increases blood pressure and affects the heart and various organs. Therefore, an older person should strive to lessen his stress. To reduce stress one must perform breathing exercises like meditation. Yoga exercises have found to be beneficial curbing stress. One should also be more social and available in his old age as self-confinement only increases it.

Balanced weight

The reduction of the body's metabolism increases body weight. Increased weight makes you prone to getting heart diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes. Therefore, one must keep a balanced bodyweight to avoid these fatal diseases. One should always not increase weight more than what the healthy BMI dictates. Regular exercises also help in regulating increased body weight. Obesity is the leading factor for heart-related diseases. It makes the body movement sluggish and an obese person is more probable to get tired quickly than healthy individuals. We can remind our loved ones of the benefits of a healthy diet. Intake of fried food is harmful as they are indigestible in old age. A healthy diet should include veggies and oil-free food. It is also essential for the body to be hydrated. A right amount of water for the body goes a very long way.

Timely checkups

As our younger self, we didn't spend much time in hospitals as we'd be spending as an older one. Older bodies are more probable to get infected by germs. Immunity gets reduced, and our antibodies are no more capable of fighting germs as they once did. Therefore, this situation is avoidable by timely body checkups. These body checkups help an individual to keep track of his health which one must do when attaining old age. Dental checkups are essential as teeth also get deteriorated with old age. Eyes should be taken care of more than ever as with the old age power of vision lessens. Women can get checked for breast cancer and men for prostate cancer as old ages are the most probable days of getting it. The risk of a fatal heart attack reduces if the body's blood pressure gets checked regularly. Bone density scans can help in finding signs of osteoporosis.

Supplements

As our bodies cannot produce vitamins and minerals as swiftly as it once did, we can opt for consuming it from external sources like tablets. To avoid osteoporosis and osteomalacia, one can consume Calcium tablets. Multi-Vitamin pills supplement the body with potassium and vital vitamins. Fortified milk and yogurt can also boost calcium in the body. Meat, cereals, and seafood can supplement vitamin B12 which is responsible for healthy red blood cells. Omega-3 fatty acids can decrease the risk of heart-related diseases. Vitamin D which helps the body absorb calcium and maintain bone density, is present in leafy vegetables and seafood.

Sleep

Resting the body as old age takes a significant toll because of physical activity. A good nap is always beneficial for the human body. During our sleep body muscles relax, and breathing slows. Our blood pressure which is the driver of hypertension in older individuals decreases during our sleep. Therefore, individuals with high blood pressure should get the right amount of sleep. Insomnia is pretty common in older individuals. It can be treated by handling stress, anxiety and acquiring a healthy lifestyle. For example, coffee, heavy meals and alcoholic drinks if avoided can lead to good night sleep. Room conditions also play a huge role. It becomes challenging to get a good nap if the room is too bright or if its temperature isn't suitable.

Adult Family Homes

Maybe its time for us to understand that old age is no different from childhood. Just like children, older people cannot do everything by themselves. For their everyday task, they require our help. Older individuals need feeding, medication and regular exercises with grave punctuality. Such care needs a significant amount of time from our daily schedule. Adult family homes can help with diluting our burden. They provide the care and love that an individual gets at home. They lessen our worries by their affection towards our parents. Therefore, shifting our loved ones to one such family home is beneficial for not only them but for us too. You can easily find  adult family homes near you on our website. Just enter your zip code and choose the best adult family home of your choice.

Medication

Older individuals need to take medicines prescribed by their doctors routinely. Failure to do so can be fatal. The medication that is prescribed by the doctor should be given. There is a good chance that the person receiving care from us is taking some prescribed medication. We should ensure that they are getting the right medications. Also with medication comes a huge risk to the body. An increased amount of medication can be harmful to vital organs as an old body cannot cope up with an eroded metabolism. Family members need to take the responsibility of making their parents take medicine regularly. Individuals living in adult family homes get proper medication at the right time. The individuals get a planned medical report and they get the nursing accordingly.