Until a few decades ago, the elderly in most households hit their 100th birthday without fail, in all good health and humor, which nowadays seems a rare occurrence. So much has changed in the lifestyle of an ordinary person in the last couple of centuries owing to unhealthy food habits, lack of regular exercise, and increasing mental pressure and loneliness, especially in our senior community, making their body susceptible to several illnesses, the most common and harmful among which is heart disease. And with it came the need and importance to look upon cardiovascular health in a different light. It’s high time we reduced the chances of heart failure symptoms in our seniors by incorporating a new and healthy lifestyle and helping them observe heart-healthy habits regularly.
Suppose you do not have the time and energy to take these measures to keep seniors’ cardiovascular health intact, convince them to take senior-friendly heart-healthy meals, or make them do heart-healthy exercises for seniors regularly. In that case, you may rely upon in-home help for seniors and hire a nurse for one-on-one home care in Canada or elsewhere.
If you have an elderly person at home and are determined to see him/her healthy and sound for the years to come, tune in to read more on how to achieve senior wellness and longevity, the best diet for heart health in elderly, exercise for seniors’ heart health, ways for managing blood pressure in older adults, and things alike.
Why is in-home help for seniors necessary?
Old age often comes with loneliness, especially when a partner is absent or is ill as well. Not every child may be able to stay home and provide the companionship they deserve and desire. This might not be due to any less inclination towards the elderly, but largely due to the lack of time that often needs to be put into work to meet financial needs and fulfill responsibilities. In this case, rather than leaving them alone with their innumerable thoughts and worries, it is better to appoint a nurse for in-home help for seniors.
As stress management for seniors is not child’s play and cannot be taken lightly, home care support for elderly heart patients can do a lot more good than we imagine. The best diet for heart health in elderly is the first thing a professional would ensure while looking after an elderly person. The second would be to assign heart-healthy exercises for seniors and to make sure that they do them regularly. This, along with stress management for seniors through regular small talk, good exposure to sun and people, entertainment, etc., would be enough to keep them healthy and prepared for the tough years to come.
5 heart-healthy habits to follow to keep your health in check
Without much adieu, let’s get straight into what should be done to keep seniors away from swift aging and cardiovascular diseases. Here is a breakdown of five simple heart-healthy habits that seniors should follow to reduce heart failure symptoms and improve their cardiovascular health:
1. Regular Exercise
Exercise is a way for seniors to attain improved circulation and strengthen their heart muscles. It not only helps manage their blood pressure but also puts them in high spirits throughout the day. Regular physical activity, mainly low-impact exercises like walking, swimming, chair yoga, resistance training, etc., is the best approach when treating an elderly person with cardiovascular issues. These exercises will help the person improve their stamina, reduce their cholesterol levels, and manage their weight better, which proved to be the actual goal when treating a person with a history of cardiovascular issues.
2. Balanced Nutrition
Poor eating habits always lead to high cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension, which intensifies the need for proper nutrition that helps in managing blood pressure in older adults. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidants, such as salmon, nuts, leafy greens, and berries, are some of the best heart-healthy meals to try on while observing the best diet for heart health in elderly. Also reduce the intake of processed foods, excessive salt, and unhealthy fats. The best decision would be to plan in-home meals to ensure a well-balanced diet.
3. Managing Stress
Another major issue that contributes to breakdown is stress in heart patients. Stress contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease, and other complications like depression. Encourage relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness. Help them get involved in a few hobbies that keep them engaged during the day. Another major thing to note is that if they get enough social interaction during the day. Get them acquainted with a neighbor or two, have friends or children visit them once in a while, and most importantly, have meaningful conversations with them now and then. Communication is often the key to keeping one healthy. Also, engaging in spiritual or community activities may help them build resilience against any pessimistic thoughts and keep their emotional well-being intact.
4. Regular Health Monitoring
Regular health monitoring is essential, especially when you are dealing with a person with a history of heart issues. Taking an elderly person to a hospital for checkups won’t be an easy task, but it indeed is not an excuse enough to not undertake a regular health checkup. And so the wise choice would be to hire an in-home nurse to undertake the task of regular screening to enable early detection of heart failure symptoms and prevent dragging one to severe complications. Once you attain a personalized care plan for heart disease management in seniors, all you have to do is ensure your loved one takes his/her medicine without fail. With frequent heart health checkups to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels alongside proper medication management and timely medical interventions, you can live in peace.
5. Adequate Rest
Sleep is one thing that cannot and should not be compromised for a person whose cardiovascular health is at risk. The importance of sleep for senior heart health is not something that could be taken lightly or dismissed casually; it requires as much attention as we give to provide the best diet for heart health in elderly or the measures we take to ensure stress management for seniors. Poor sleep schedule and increased risk of hypertension, stroke, and heart attacks can leave you in the dark. Get professional assistance through one-on-one home care in Canada to help seniors with sleep disturbances, if need be. If you have no other assistance, try creating a relaxing bedtime routine, reducing screen time, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle for an elderly person could in itself be challenging, so thinking about trying to maintain the heart health of an elderly person with a history of cardiovascular issues is no easy task to undertake. The best possible step regarding elder care would be to hire a nurse who does home nursing for heart patients from any in-home care service to look after your loved one. This can ensure that your loved one’s cardiovascular health is taken care of with regular screening for any heart failure symptoms, regular heart-healthy exercises for seniors, heart-healthy habits, the best diet for heart health in elderly, and stress management for seniors. This could indeed be done at home without outside help; however, you and I are wise enough to realize that it is never going to happen, no matter how hard we try, the way it would, when things are in the hands of a home nurse or a professional who is an expert in such undertakings.
If you have a senior at home, and if his/her cardiovascular health is at risk, do think over the matters we discussed on elder care and hire a professional from any home care service; the sooner the better.
