The heart is a powerful muscle, but it’s still at risk of developing damage and disease. Reducing the risk of heart disease is a process, and there are lots of different factors that seniors can focus on. Some of these ways to reduce the risk of heart disease can feel like big changes for seniors at first, but help from home care providers can make it easier to tackle.
Stay on Top of Overall Health
If seniors are concerned about heart disease it definitely makes a difference for them to stay on top of their overall health, including chronic health issues. Conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes can do a lot of damage to the cardiovascular system if they’re left uncontrolled, which can lead to a higher risk of heart disease. Seniors should do all they can to stick to their recommended care plans and implement changes that can help them to live a healthier life overall.
Address Dietary Changes
Dietary changes can be key to helping seniors improve their heart health. Swapping out less healthy choices for ones that are richer in nutrition matters a lot more than many people realize. The problem can often be that seniors are choosing those less healthy options because they’re easier to prepare. Having help from elder care providers with meal preparation tasks can help seniors to stick to a healthier eating plan.
Increase Physical Activity
Seniors benefit greatly from exercise, even if it’s just a little bit each day. They should always talk to their doctors before starting a new exercise plan. When they do start exercising, starting slowly and gradually increasing their level of activity helps to strengthen the heart and lungs as well as muscles throughout the whole body.
Reduce Stress
Stress raises cortisol levels, blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and lots of other health metrics. Getting a handle on stress helps to reduce all sorts of health issues, including possible heart disease. Reducing stress for seniors might involve first getting a baseline idea about stress triggers and what makes seniors feel stressed most often. From there, it’s a lot easier to put a plan in place.
Quit Smoking
Smoking is a huge health hazard for people of any age, but especially for seniors. Smoking worsens heart health because it increases the risk of blood clots forming, increases the risk of arteries narrowing, and causes cell damage. Even someone who has smoked for a long time can benefit greatly from quitting smoking.
Enlist Help for Seniors
Seniors need more help as they get older. Some of the help that they need is with hands-on tasks, which helps to make life easier and safer. Home care providers can also help family members to feel better about their seniors’ safety at home. Whether seniors need help with bathing and changing clothes or simply keeping up with household tasks, in-home care providers can tackle all of that for them.
There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to reducing heart disease for seniors. With the right help, however, seniors can more than they realize to stay healthy. Home care providers can make it easier for seniors to stay on track with their health goals while also offering practical assistance.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING HOME CARE IN LOS GATOS, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969