Your senior’s heart is what literally keeps her going, so it’s vital that her heart is as healthy as possible. The problem is that everyone makes little lifestyle choices here and there that might not be the best for heart health. Making some changes can help a lot more than your senior might think. 

Stop Smoking, if She Smokes

Smokers face a variety of health challenges. The simplest answer is to quit smoking to reduce those risks. Smoking places a huge additional load on your senior’s heart and her lungs, not to mention the chemicals that end up in her body from cigarettes. 

Reduce Alcohol Consumption 

Like smoking, alcohol puts an additional load on your senior’s body. Alcohol converts to primarily sugar in your senior’s body, which causes her body to have to work harder to process that additional sugar. Alcohol is also a major contributing factor for weight gain.  

Look at Contributing Factors for Weight Gain 

If your elderly family member is even a little bit overweight, that can tax her heart. Reducing her weight by even a small percentage can give her some big results. Any little steps that your senior can take in order to reduce the workload for her heart is important.  

Eat Healthy Foods Regularly 

Eating a lot of junk food can make your senior uncomfortable and it also contributes to weight gain. Your senior’s body also isn’t getting the nutrients that it needs in order to function well. Cooking whole foods can be unappealing, even though your elderly family member knows it is better for her. Hiring elder care providers to cook for your senior can be a great answer. 

Consider Adding Exercise 

Talk to your elderly family member’s doctor about whether exercise is okay for her. Exercise helps her to strengthen her heart, it works her muscles, and it can help with excess weight. The trick is to start slowly and to stick with activities that your senior enjoys. That allows her to stick with it for the long run instead of giving up. 

Get a full heart health assessment from your senior’s doctor. That helps you and your elderly family member to formulate a solid plan that can help her to do what she needs to do in order to protect her heart. This is something that she’ll need to commit to and keep doing, so it’s important that she’s on board. 

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elder Care in Golden Beach, FL please contact the caring staff at Specialized Nursing Services today. (305) 652-2799