As your senior ages, heart health becomes that much more important for her to pay close attention to.
For most aging adults, making just a few simple changes can be enough for her to start to see some serious results. Make sure that you talk to your senior’s doctor about those changes and about what your elderly family member’s goals should be. Keeping those achievable is important for long-term success.
Adjust Her Diet
Food can absolutely be a key to health and that’s doubly true if your elderly family member hasn’t paid much attention to healthy eating in the past. Choosing whole foods over processed foods can be an important switch because the preservatives, sodium, and sugar in processed foods can be damaging to heart health. This might mean that your elderly family member is approaching food in a totally new way that is overwhelming for her. Having help with meal preparation can make a big difference.
Find an Exercise Program
Your senior’s entire cardiovascular system benefits from exercise. She doesn’t have to do anything seriously taxing but getting moving is enough to help. Start out with a conversation with your elderly family member’s doctor about what exercise is alright for her to try. It’s far better for her to start out slowly but consistently than it is for her to dive in and wear herself out. It might even be a good idea to try physical therapy first, to make sure she’s able to exercise without hurting herself.
Work on Emotional Health
Stress takes a huge toll on health. If your elderly family member is experiencing issues with emotional health, that needs to be a focus when you’re working on keeping her as healthy as possible. Depression, loneliness, isolation, and other mental health concerns can seriously impact your senior’s ability to take the best care of herself possible. Look for ways to assist her with these concerns. That might mean talk therapy or helping her to feel less alone. Hiring senior care providers is perfect for practical assistance, but they also offer companionship and a way for your elderly family member to socialize.
There’s no one solution that will magically improve your elderly family member’s heart health overnight. It takes paying attention to the specific issues that are not working well for her, so always talk to her doctor about what is likely to be best for her.
