Effective Heart-Healthy Habits for Seniors

It is true that as people comes closer to their senior phase, the more they are at risk of acquiring a number of diseases such as heart ailments. Because of this, several caregiver services in Illinois has offered elderly in home care amenities in order to monitor and prevent dangerous illnesses to develop.

However, it is important to note that some people choose the independent route in monitoring and preventing such illnesses. For this reason, here is a compilation of important guidelines that will certainly help you and every senior person you know acquire a heart-healthy habit that will surely aid them in the process.

Self-Monitoring will Save Your Life

High blood pressure or hypertension is a silent killer since it doesn’t give any early signals or warning signs. For this reason, high blood pressure or hypertension is the most common reason why majority of the world’s population dies.

Self-monitoring your blood pressure and health at home will definitely make a huge difference. For one, it will help you and your senior loved ones see early warning signs of heart risks. As a result, you can always take your senior loved ones to their resident doctor immediately.

Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables

It is no great secret that fruits and vegetables can do wonders to your overall health, especially to the senior community. Consuming a number of healthy fruits and vegetables in every meal will certainly keep your senior loved ones safe from heart issues and diseases.

However, older people have a tendency to be picky about their food. If this happens, consider these strategies to attain your goal of making them eat the right amount of fruits and vegetables per day:

• Breakfast: Add salsa with your senior loved ones’ veggie egg scramble. Snack: Always keep fruits visible to remind your senior loved ones’ to eat healthy. Lunch: Including a vegetable soup or a salad in their meals will do the trick. Snack: Provide portions of unsweetened dried fruits and nuts in the food table. Dinner: Mix different kinds of vegetables and steam or roast them. Then, add a salad topper and serve it with a soup or a colorful salad. Dessert: Let your senior loved ones enjoy grilled nectarines, poached pears, and baked apples.

Following these strategies will ultimately help your senior loved ones eat healthy!

Appropriate Medication Management

If your senior loved ones do not take their medicines properly, they will surely acquire high blood pressure. This is why you should help them understand that they need to take their medicines on time; it will greatly help their overall health. For this reason, it is important that you help your senior loved ones establish a healthy habit of taking their medicines on a regular basis.

Consider, Prepare, Act, Maintain, and Reward

There are certain obstacles that prevent your senior loved ones to establish a healthy habit, such as laziness, unjustifiable reasons, and other obstacles that they encounter in the process. If you are experiencing difficulty because of these given reasons, you may want to refer to these guidelines to assist you in removing these barriers and in keeping them on a healthy track.

• Consider

  The first step you should take to acquire a healthy habit for your senior loved one is to ask them to make a decision. Let them decide on a new habit that they want to take by jotting down the reasons why they want to develop a new habit. It could be anything from reducing their blood pressure to wanting to increase their overall energy level. By jotting these habits down, your senior loved one will be motivated to do it every day.

• Prepare

  The second step you must consider is to list down the things that might get in the way of attaining their planned habits and goals. Then, come up with ideas that can effectively prevent these barriers.

• Act

  Step three is for you to put all your plans into actions. Use these step to assist your senior loved ones in developing their chosen habit. Help and support them all through the way.

• Maintain and Reward

  If your senior loved ones are on a healthy track, help and assist them to stay there. Once they successfully stayed on the right and healthy track, find ways to give them rewards in a healthy way by acknowledging their good deeds and by showering them with more love.

Positive Mind = Positive Life

Being positive while helping, assisting, and supporting your senior loved ones will also aid them in the process. By having a positive mindset, you are ultimately helping your senior loved ones establish new habits that will surely benefit their overall health. Always encourage them to achieve their habits and goals to attain their new and improved lifestyle.

These guidelines will surely help you and your senior loved ones develop and attain heart-healthy habits. Remember that by taking small steps, you are getting one step closer to your goal.