How to make sure your elders maintain their health at home

Staying healthy in every age is important and making your golden years healthy is very important. Growing older means going through many changes. Changing your lifestyle can be good for your health, eating healthy and physical activities prevents you from some health problems like diabetes, heart problems, and some cancers. If your elders are 60+ then even small things like flu and cold can lead to complications. At this age the immune system of the elders gets weak and they can get ill easily.

Elders become less active which means their muscles will not work or they can lose their strength. At an older age, you start eating less or too much which can lead to obesity or problems like losing too much weight. Your elders should stay active physically and socially and look for solutions like aged care centers in Brisbane. Let them do what makes them happy but keep an eye on their health issues. Our elders can slow down with their increasing age due to health problems, weight, mental or pain issues. Here are some of the things you can do to maintain their health.

1. Eating healthy

Eating healthy is important for every person but at an older age, you need to know whether they are taking the right meal and their proteins. They should dump the junk food, and take a healthy diet. Add low fat and low cholesterol in their diet. Give them more fruits and vegetables and fresh juices to drink. The right amount of nutrition can control problems like obesity and diabetes. You should limit the consumption of sugary and fatty foods in their diet. Make a healthy diet plan for them. Don’t get too strict with your elders, become their friend and teach them about what is right for their health. As a personage, they lose their muscle mass. We can slow down the loss of muscle mass by eating healthy and being active. Being overweight doesn't mean they have to lose weight at this age, weight loss is advised to people who have weight-related health problems. The most important thing for them is staying healthy and eating healthy.

2. Make them active

After 60+ your elders can get lazy or don't feel like going for a run or getting out of the house. After a certain age, a person likes to stay in the house in their comfort zone. By not being active they can lose their muscles and strength. The more they move the more it is better for them, don’t give them hard exercises to do, just make sure they are going for a walk or doing things that can help them stay active like you can teach them swimming or cycling.

They can feel fresh and alive by doing yoga, teach them yoga or take them to the park for a long walk. Give them household chores, not the hard ones, but the ones they like or can do easily. Elder people enjoy gardening, tell them to do gardening with their other elderly neighbors, encourage them to join a club. Even a mild to moderate activity can help them in their physical and emotional health. Staying active and fit can help them live an even longer life than they already have.

3. Health supplements

Older adults need more vitamins and calcium to help maintain their bone health. Supplements can be helpful for their overall health. Consult their dietician, give them the health supplements they need. Some supplements support a healthy immune system, supplements can help them to get their vitamins and calcium. Before giving any supplements to the seniors, ask the doctor especially when they are already taking their prescribed medicines.

4. Physical exercises

Heart experts suggest that regular exercise can offer great benefits including extending lifespan. Take them to an exercise program, motivate them to exercise. Happy, active and healthy elders can take care of themselves too. Ask their doctor which physical activities are good for them and help them with their exercise. At first, they will feel discouraged because of their pains, health problems and concern about injuries and falls.

Regular cardio exercises can boost their overall health. Regular jogging and walking can help increase the strength of their bones. Exercise can also help to manage the high cholesterols and can control cholesterol levels in the healthy range. Regular exercise is also a huge stress reliever. Elders think that there is no point in the exercise as they are going to get older anyway but exercise helps them look younger, fresh and can help stay independent.

5. Socialize

Socializing gives a sense of belonging and acceptance of a person. The seniors are not different from kids and teenagers, they also need contact with other people as much as any other kid, adult or teenage person. Socializing can help develop new friendships, reduce stress, and keep anxiety away. Socializing with your elders can help them stay connected. They don't have many other activities as we have, they don't use social media as we do. What they love is talking to their children and grandchildren.

Call their friends over so they can have their talks and fun. The chances of depression will be less in seniors caused by loneliness and isolation. They can have little picnics with their friends. You can celebrate small occasions just to make them feel happy. Elders don't show it but they also like their children's attention, give them the care and attention they need.

6. Mental health

Elders do have stress and they are not good at coping with stress. They should get their proper sleep. Elders can do crossword puzzles, tell them to try new hobbies, they can read and write, it can clear their minds. Activities like these can decline their mental health. Tell your elders to always stay positive. As a person grows older the chances of mental illness can be high. Depression is the most common problem with elderly individuals. Always try to make them happy and communicate with them to make them feel less lonely.

7. Regular checkups

Take them for regular checkups. Dental checkups, vision and hearing checkups are important too. You don't know what part of the body is getting affected due to their health or age. As they grow old their eyesight can get weak too. Many people see changes in their vision after age 50. Hearing loss is also common in aging due to exposure to loud noises. Your teeth can get affected due to health problems like diabetes. They get a deficiency in vitamin D, this vitamin helps to protect bones, and their bones can become weak. Take them for the checkup of their bone intensity. Their blood pressure should be checked regularly as it doesn’t show any major symptoms of high blood pressure and it can cause damage to their health. Ask your elders to tell any physical problems they are having to their doctors.

8. Get some sleep

Sleep is important for a person's physical and mental health. Aging means waking up in the middle of sleep or not sleeping at all. Elders can lose their sleeping patterns. They can have insomnia. A good sleep at night can help improve their concentration and memory formation. It also refreshes the immune system which can help in fighting diseases. Help them to take some extra sleep. Dim the lights in the evening. Ask them to go to bed early at night. Try taking the afternoon nap. If they are not sleeping well and properly then identify their problems, maybe they are under some stress or health issue which is affecting their sleep. Make sure that their room is comfortable, they have a relaxed and quiet environment.

9. Prevent falls

Falling is the most common cause of injury among seniors. As our elders' age, they can get weaker and can get hurt after falling. Give them the non- slip socks, light up the space so they see anything coming in their way. Remove the carpets from the stairs so it does not get stuck in their feet. Their bones are really sensitive and by falling it can get broken. Take the fall prevention as early as you can. Certain disorders such as eye and hearing disorders may increase the risk of falling, take the precautions first. Take a look around your home, remove any home hazards such as boxes, racks, loose rugs. Try using non-slip mats. Repair any loose carpeting right away. Store their necessity in their range. They can lose their balance and strength because of their medications and can increase the chances of falling. Give them regular exercise which can help them to improve their balance.

10. Healthy weight

Extra weight can increase the rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems. Ask your doctor about what is the ideal weight for their age. They can gain weight without being active and not burning those calories. The overweight can turn into obesity. Replace their sugary drinks with fresh juices. Cut out on fatty foods. Try giving them smaller meals more often. Add healthy fats and oils to their food such as olive oil and steamed vegetables and brown rice. Calculate their body mass index to see if they are overweight.

Conclusion

When imagining our parents grow older, we may not comprehend how their aging will affect them and us. When caring for the elderly there is the number of things you can do to take care of them. You should also encourage, motivate and respect your elderly. Older people do not like complaining so you must give them the comfort they need. Small mistakes can lead to big complications, be their friend and help them get healthy.

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