Taking care of yourself in your old age is the best way to prevent diseases and accidents. Let’s read some tips for preventive care and self care for seniors
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Aging can’t be prevented, but by providing extra care to our elders, we can help them cope with medical conditions or problems. The elderly require additional care since they are vulnerable to various disorders.
We need to understand that extra care should be an essential part of their lives after a certain age. In this article, you will come upon the all about preventive care and self care that you can provide to elders.
Why Do Elders Require Extra Care?
Metabolism slows down
As we mature, our metabolism slows down. Our appetite reduces with changes in metabolism, energy, and the ability to work.
Bones begin to shrink
As we age, our bones shrink and lose their density. Postmenopausal women are more likely to suffer from bone loss, and older men also tend to suffer from bone problems as the testosterone level drops down. Loss of bone density means older citizens are more prone to fractures due to falls and pain in the joints. It makes them vulnerable to diseases like Osteoporosis and Arthritis.
Age related diseases
Apart from the loss of bone density, there are several other age-related diseases such as loss of vision, hearing, hypertension, diabetes, heart, lung, and kidney problems, and other issues. The only way to avoid such diseases is to take proper care and precaution
Degenerative disorders
Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s’, and dementia are becoming far too common among older people in the US. It’s important for elders to keep themselves active and healthy in order to make sure that these diseases do not progress quickly.
What Are The Tips For Self-Care For Elders?
Nutrition counseling
Older people are susceptible to nutritional deficiencies. It is essential to eat nutritious food because a healthy lifestyle, low alcohol consumption, and not smoking improves mortality.
6 to 19 percent of people suffer from coronary heart disease due to the consumption of excessive trans fatty acids in food.
Consuming low fatty acids results in a reduced mortality rate. Understanding the significance of probiotics, micronutrients, and macronutrients in the diet and a healthy lifestyle results in overall development.
Exercise counseling
Physical activity is an integral component in the life of elders. Exercise plays a vital role in weight loss and weight management for elders, and it reduces the occurrence of osteoporosis.
Elders who exercise regularly have balanced blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Elders should perform aerobic exercise or strength training depending upon their convenience. You can add cardio also to your daily routine to enhance your cardiovascular efficiency.Lifestyle changes
Even though exercising and consuming good nutrition is a key to a good life, there are specific lifestyle changes that you need to make.
Sleeping on time, eating on time, and understanding the significance of moderation in life can help the elders to a great extent.
Get enough sleep
A good night’s sleep is essential to restore your energy levels and fix cell damage during the day. By sleeping for 7-9 hours per day, elders can improve their concentration levels, enhancing their memory and resulting in significant productivity on the next day.
Relax
Elders need to relax to calm their bodies and mind. Spending some downtime helps elders restore physical damage to the body, it plays a significant role in daily life.
Have time for hobbies
Inculcating hobbies in senior life can help them be more enthusiastic and energetic throughout their day. It can help them get rid of boredom and fill it with more happiness.
Elders tend to overthink since they aren’t occupied with work, leading to loneliness and isolation. Thus they must develop a hobby to restore the sense of purpose in life.
Best Preventive Care Tips For Seniors
Health tips
Quit smoking
If you are an avid smoker, then try to bring it to moderate levels. If you don’t smoke every day, you can cut down on smoking as it harms you badly.
Take supplements if necessary
We often don’t get all the nutrients from our daily intake, which results in deficiencies in our bodies. Vegetarians are more likely to suffer from nutritional deficiencies, and thus they can take on supplements to overcome health problems and deficiencies. You can take suggestions from your doctor and include all the necessary supplements in your diet.
Avoid making contact with people who are sick
Try to avoid contact with people to prevent getting sick. As we age, our immunity reduces, and we are more prone to develop contagious diseases. Thus avoid making contact with sick people or have developed severe infectious diseases.
This isn’t easy; however, you can take small preventive steps to overcome this disorder as being diagnosed later may enhance the complications.
Develop a routine checkup and take vaccines
You can take the advice of your doctor and develop routine checkups. Many chronic diseases like breast cancer, cholesterol, diabetes, and blood pressure can be accurately predicted and taken care of before they become a major problem.
Get yourself checked to help you diagnose illnesses before they become untreatable. Additionally, you must take yearly Influenza vaccine to prevent flu and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV), and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) to help prevent pneumonia.
Incorporate some home remedies
Ayurveda is an ancient way of treating disorders. It treats people and eliminates the disease from the roots. Many natural remedies are popular. You can use them when you get hurt, like applying turmeric on the wound or massage with certain household products to avoid body pain.
Fall prevention tips
You can modify your home to prevent falls. You can install grab bars near stairs, bathtubs, showers, and all such places where elders need support while walking. Try to declutter the living area and places where the elderly move around.
Keep the bathroom, kitchen, and patio floor dry and clean. Wear non-slip home slippers or non-slip socks to prevent falls. Add foot mats near the shower or outside the bathroom and area rugs in the living room.
Try to remove home hazards
Try to declutter your house and exclude all the home hazards. This will prevent you from falling, and installing some equipment can provide great assistance.
- Try to exclude loose rugs from your house.
- Don’t spill oil or water on the floor.
- Try to keep your daily necessities in hand.
- Remove notebooks and extra boxes out of your way.
Adjust lighting in your house:
Try to light up your house adequately, so you don’t need to trip upon some products in your entire home.
- Turn on the lights before walking by the stairs
- Try to install glow-in-the-dark switches in your entire house.
- In case of power failure or power outage in your home, you can have some solar lights installed at your place.
Mental health tips
Try to manage your stress levels
If older adults suffer from chronic diseases, it increases the release of cortisol. The higher secretion of cortisol leads to higher stress levels in the body.
Elders can manage their stress levels by eradication of bad lifestyle habits as well as by implementation of healthy habits. Journaling, as well as preparing to-do lists, can help to retain good mental health. By practicing these habits, they can enhance their mental health.
Meditation
Meditation is suggested to every age group. It is widely said that meditation helps you gain mental peace and a calm, positive mind. Meditation is an excellent way to energize your mind and be stress-free.
Be grateful
We often cannot accomplish goals in our life, and we regret it. But, being thankful to God for what you have and working hard for what you want is the only way to stay healthy and achieve success.
After getting up in the morning, the first thing you can do is write the three things you are grateful for in your life. This will give you a positive mindset in the morning, and you can be productive throughout your day.
First Aid And Self Care
As older people are more prone to disorders, an older person’s physiology may vary as age increases. Understanding the first aid of the elders may help you gain confidence and make the right decisions at the right time.
- Calmly try to reach the doctor and medical emergency.
- Understand the severity of the situation.
- Seek the help of any doctor and quickly understand if there is a life-threatening condition.
- Take precautions to prevent any possible injuries.
- Seek immediate medical advice or try to reach the medical practitioner immediately.
Heat and cold-related disorders
With age, you are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases that alter your body’s temperature. Medications can also cause fluctuations in body temperature.
If you are going outdoors, it is mandatory to protect yourself by wearing appropriate clothes, being hydrated, and protecting yourself from any heart-related disorder. The elder who suffers from temperature problems can apply sunscreen on their body.
Cuts and scrapes
Older adults suffer from many chronic diseases. It becomes difficult for the body to heal wounds due to these diseases, as compared to a younger person.
The skin becomes more tender; therefore, it is extremely important to get yourself checked by the doctor and treated adequately because a small cut or wound may result in a big infection.
Minor cuts
Try to remove the dirt which gets accumulated on the wound. You can wash the wound with tap water and place a clean bandage or cloth on the wound. Try to raise the affected area above the person’s heart level. If the bleeding doesn’t stop even after adding the first layer to the wound, try adding an extra layer of bandage or cloth.
Heavy bleeding
If the person goes through heavy bleeding or has developed a severe cut, then help them reach out for emergency medical care. If the wound is not deep and has developed a minor cut or scrape, then try to apply a bandage or cloth on it.
Accidents
If the person undergoes an accident, look at the injury. If you find the cut to be deep, then immediately seek the help of an emergency medical number or contact the doctor.
If you have developed swelling or inflammation in any area, you do not need to hurry immediately. You can speak to the doctor and get the person treated per the doctor’s recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can we help elders?
You can help the elders by providing necessary assistance and volunteering for them in their daily activities, which they cannot carry out independently. You can spend time with them, support them in their decisions, and create a happy environment around them to not feel sad and depressed.
What to do when your parents are alone and don’t get adequate care?
There are many other options like long-term care facilities and nursing homes. Your parents can get adequate care by volunteering. They pay attention to their diet and pay attention to their medical needs.
What is the importance of preventive care?
Getting adequate preventive care helps to reduce the risk of disability and decreases the mortality rate over the period. It will add up to the quality of life. It is essential to prevent various diseases and reduce suffering from chronic diseases.
How can the elderly become more active?
The elderly can become more active by doing some simple daily activities and exercises such as:
- Maintaining a social group.
- Walking and doing simple exercises for at least 150 minutes every week.
- Doing some simple sitting exercises.
- Dancing with friends and family.
- Doing daily simple home chores.
Why is it necessary to prevent falls amongst elders?
Elders are more prone to osteopenia and osteoporosis. Due to the reduced bone density, elders may develop fractures by falling and getting hurt.
The chances of hip, spine, and wrist fractures are higher than other body bones. So prevention of falls is essential to prevent them from developing any fractures in their body.
Wrap Up
Our elders care for us and support us by providing us with necessary suggestions. But as they age, their capacity to work and perform activities lowers.
We need to understand some preventive measures and self-care tips to help them live healthy lives. In this article, you will encounter first aid and specific preventive measures for the elders. So make sure that you go through this article.