American men and women are living longer than ever thanks to improvements in health care, nutrition and fitness. It’s quite possible for people to live a healthy and active life well into their senior years. However, too many elderly adults believe that there is no use in focusing on health and wellness in their advanced years. While it’s true that the body and the mind do change with age, there are many things that seniors can do to stay as healthy and fit as possible.
September is Healthy Aging Month, and there’s no better time for family caregivers and their elderly relatives to set healthy goals to improve quality of life.
Simple and Effective Healthy Aging Goals
Many aspects of a senior’s health and wellness cannot be controlled, from genetics to accidental injuries. However, when it comes to keeping the body and mind fit and functioning, elderly adults can wield a lot of influence based on lifestyle choices. Even if the elderly adult is dependent on a family caregiver and home care provider for daily care, they can still decide to increase healthy habits in their daily life.
Some of the most important healthy habits include getting annual medical exams, quitting smoking, eating a nutritious diet and exercising several times per week. Family caregivers can also adjust their aging loved one’s environment for maximum safety and well-being. Examples include wearing sunscreen, modifying the home to avoid slip and fall accidents, ceasing driving when appropriate and hiring home care providers for assistance. Finally, mental health is quite important, so when seniors do word puzzles, learn a new language or read books, it stimulates the brain and delays cognitive decline.
Set Realistic Goals
Seniors can make healthy changes to their lives at any time, but Healthy Aging Month brings their entire support group of friends, family members and home care providers together for a common purpose. Of course, setting healthy goals for seniors requires coordinated effort and planning. It’s especially hard for elderly adults who depend on family caregivers and home care providers for care to request changes. The best thing family caregivers can do is support healthy living goals.
Setting healthy living goals is difficult no matter what, and common obstacles include low self-esteem, procrastination, physical disabilities, and isolation. The elderly adult and their support group should come up with realistic goals and the steps needed to implement them. For example, if the senior says they want to be more active, they can make plans with their home care provider to go on a 30-minute walk, three days per week. Once the goals are set, everyone must work together to make them happen.
Paying attention to all aspects of healthy aging can boost an elderly adult’s quality of life. The positive changes will certainly improve their ability to resist diseases, heal wounds and enhance overall health.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care services in The Heights, 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.
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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