As a family caregiver to an older adult, you want your parent to stay healthy as they age. September is a great month for focusing on ways to improve your parent’s health as they age because it’s Healthy Aging Month. One of the ways you can help your parent to stay healthy is by hiring an elder care provider to come to their home and assist with their care. There are many things an elder care provider can do for your parent. Below are just a few.

Assist with and Encourage Exercise

Experts at WebMD and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agree that one of the best ways to improve overall health is exercise. Older adults should aim for about 2.5 hours of exercise each week, which is about 30 minutes each day. Any type of exercise is fine, but it’s best if your parent engages in strengthening exercises as well as aerobic exercise. An elder care provider can help your parent by encouraging them to exercise. If your parent enjoys walking, but worries about falling, an elder care provider can walk with them. Elder care providers can also drive seniors to group exercise classes or to the gym.

Eat a Healthy Diet

One of the things that seniors sometimes struggle with is eating a healthy diet. This may be because they have difficulty cooking for themselves or because they simply don’t enjoy eating alone. An elder care provider can prepare meals for your parent. Also, if the elder care provider is scheduled to visit during a meal time, they can sit with your parent while they eat. Having some company can make meal times more enjoyable and may encourage your parent to eat more.

Keep Up with Friends and Family

Maintaining social connections is an important part of healthy aging. Studies show a strong correlation between social isolation and depression. An elder care provider can help your parent to stay connected with family and friends by helping them to read mail and email that may be difficult to see due to vision changes. They can also help seniors to get dressed and ready to go to social engagements. Elder care providers can drive seniors to friends’ houses or to group or club gatherings.

Health Appointments and Medications

It’s important for seniors to visit doctors and other medical providers regularly to monitor their health. Elder care providers can help by taking seniors to their appointments. Elder care providers can also alert family caregivers to any changes that may warrant a visit to the doctor. Also, elder care providers can help seniors to follow their doctor’s advice by reminding them to take medications or follow the doctor’s instructions.

Elder care providers can be a terrific part of your senior parent’s care team. They can be hired to come in for just a few hours a day, multiple times per day, the entire day, and even for overnight care.

Sources
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/power-play
https://www.everydayhealth.com/senior-health/understanding/index.aspx
https://www.womenshealth.gov/blog/healthy-aging-tips
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3016701/

If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Cinco Ranch, TX, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.

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Donna Wrabel, LMSW

Co-Owner at At Your Side Home Care

For most of us, the word "home" evokes warm feelings of comfort, security and well-being. For older adults, home also means holding tight to cherished memories and maintaining self-esteem and independence. When illness, injury or age make life a little more challenging, remaining at home in a comfortable, familiar environment encourages recovery and enhances the quality of life. Home can be defined as a private residence, an independent or assisted living facility or even a short term stay in the hospital, we recognize the additional benefits provided by a personal, professional assistant.

Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.

Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week

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