You can be concerned about the health of elderly loved ones or family members. Chronic conditions like dementia, cancer, arthritis, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes are more common as people age. Fortunately, there are many important practices that older persons can acquire and maintain to help them live longer, healthier lives. It is your responsibility as a family member to support your loved ones in adopting healthy living practices; it is never too late to start!
Making healthy behavioral adjustments might help older persons maintain greater independence as they age. That is crucial for both your quality of life and theirs. You can find yourself in a caring role earlier than you anticipated if a family member loses their freedom, whether it’s from a chronic illness or a disability. This can have an impact on both family dynamics and economics.
What can you do, therefore, to support the older folks in your life as they age to retain their quality of life, live as independently as possible, and manage their health? Continue reading to discover four strategies for encouraging and supporting your elderly loved ones’ adoption of healthy lifestyles.
Avoid loneliness and social isolation
People frequently discover that as they get older, they spend more time alone. Being socially isolated or lonely can result from a variety of circumstances, including poor health, the death of a partner, caring for a loved one, and other events that are more common as individuals age.
An elderly couple using a cell phone to video chat with relatives.
Loneliness and social isolation sound alike, but they are not the same. Social isolation refers to having few regular social contacts and a lack of social relationships, whereas loneliness is the uncomfortable experience of being alone or separated. Higher risks for conditions including depression, heart disease, and cognitive decline—a deterioration in one’s capacity for thought, learning, and memory—are linked to increased social isolation and loneliness.
You have a great opportunity to support the social connections of the elderly people in your life as a family member. Here are a few ways you can contribute:
Set up a phone conversation or video chat on a daily, weekly, or bimonthly basis.
Urge them to look for other people who share their interests, maybe by joining a walking group, volunteer organization, or garden club.
Use 800-677-1116 or the Eldercare Locator to find a provider. A national service called Eldercare Locator links geriatric patients and their carers with reputable neighborhood resources for assistance.
Get more advice on keeping your loved one in touch with the outside world.
Encourage movement
There are numerous justifications for including physical activity into everyday life. Exercise can help lower stress and anxiety levels, promote sleep quality, minimize depressive symptoms, and improve balance and fall risk. Most significantly, frequent exercisers may live longer and also have better quality of life, which translates to more years of life spent free from pain or disability. Conversely, a lack of physical activity might raise the chance of developing some chronic illnesses, increasing hospital stays and doctor visits.
It could be challenging to persuade an elderly person to begin a new activity, but it is well worth the effort to motivate them to exercise. Here are some ideas to support motivating regular movement and exercise:
- 1. Encourage your loved ones to strive for a variety of exercises, such as flexibility, strength training, aerobics, and balancing. This could be going for a neighborhood stroll, working out with weights, doing some gardening, or stretching.
2. Talk about the required amount of exercise and come up with ideas for incorporating it into their everyday routines. Experts advise engaging in moderate-intensity aerobic activity for at least 150 minutes per week and muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days of the week.
3. Assist them in purchasing the right apparel and gear for their workouts. Recall that many activities don’t call such pricey gear. For instance, instead of using a treadmill for strength training, people can walk outside or at a mall or use filled water bottles as weights. - 4. Tell us about your favorite physical activity. Are there any that you two could carry out? If so, that’s great as you’re preventing social isolation and loneliness in addition to encouraging physical activity.
-
Promote a healthy diet
- A key component of aging well is maintaining a balanced diet. Eating healthfully goes beyond weight, just like exercise does. A balanced diet can maintain and develop bones and muscles, hence promoting independence and balance. In addition to boosting immunity and lowering the risk of some health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some malignancies, a nutritious diet rich in whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can also assist.
- Sharing meals prepared with cherished family recipes can have sentimental value, but occasionally those well-loved recipes may be excessively high in sugar and fat. It can be difficult to break old habits, but before you know it, you might have some new favorite items on the table! Think about using these suggestions to encourage your loved ones to follow a healthy diet:
Take them grocery shopping and help them select healthful options.
Talk about their favorite classic recipes and whether there’s a way to make them healthy, such using yogurt instead of sour cream or olive oil in place of butter.
Once a week, stop by and prepare a nutritious supper with them. To give them individual servings to savor later in the week, think about preparing extra and storing leftovers.
When you visit, check out their pantry and refrigerator. In addition to making sure they’re not consuming any past-due food or beverages, you can look for healthier options.
Urge them to discuss their diet and any necessary vitamin and mineral supplements with their physician or pharmacist.
Plan routine visits to the doctor.
It’s critical that your elderly loved ones receive routine medical tests and examinations. For information on men’s and women’s health screenings, visit MedlinePlus. Seeing a doctor once a year, or perhaps more frequently, based on general health, may help lower the chance of developing diseases like high blood pressure and cholesterol. Frequent examinations can also increase the likelihood of an effective course of treatment by identifying issues early.
While some people make routine trips to the doctor, others try their best to avoid these kinds of appointments. The following are some strategies to assist your family members when they see medical professionals:
Urge them to contact their physician right away if they feel discomfort or notice any other new symptoms.
Find out about any specialists they may be seeing in the near future. Do they possess a calendar with the relevant appointments highlighted and scheduled? Do they require assistance setting up appointments?
Offer to accompany them and take notes, or offer to drive them to the appointment.
Inquire about their interactions with their medical professionals. Do the physicians answer their inquiries?
Assist them with medication management if necessary. Make sure they keep an up-to-date record of all the drugs they use, including prescription, over-the-counter, and dietary supplements, and that they provide their healthcare professionals access to this list.
Find out if your elderly relative feels comfortable giving you or another family member access to their medical records and if they’re okay with you speaking with their doctors. They might be able to remember their appointments and prescriptions if they do this.
How can I promote healthful habits from a distance?
You can still encourage your parents or other elderly family members to adopt healthy behaviors even if you don’t live close by. Plan phone calls to inquire about their daily eating habits, level of activity, and compliance with medication intake. If necessary, you can have a gentle conversation with them about how to embrace healthier practices after your chat. You may accompany a family member who sees a doctor via video technology so you can assist with taking notes and asking questions. If you are unable to see your loved ones regularly, ask a nearby friend or trustworthy family member to give them a check-in.
Find out more about providing long-distance care.
It can be challenging and take time to modify behavior. Try to be patient if you’re devoted to assisting your elderly loved ones in leading healthier lives. If something doesn’t work out straight away, persevere or attempt an alternative strategy. Your encouragement and support can have an impact!
