Health Advice for the Elderly
Medical Attention: None of us likes going to the doctor and will normally put it off for as long as possible. This goes doubly for elderly relatives who are often quite stubborn about such issues and less concerned about their health which means they can end up living with unnecessary illnesses and pains. Make sure that you encourage your relatives to see a doctor when they need to and that you help them to stick to any course of exercise or medication. You also need to ensure that they are generally looking after themselves and that means turning the heating on and eating well – and this is something else homecare agencies can help with.
Exercise: Exercise in general is very important for your older relatives so make sure they are getting some. Whether this means getting them to join a club like bowls, or just to do more walking or even some calisthenics at home it will help them in any case to develop their strength and prevent injury and joint pain.
Movement in general is also very important. Do not allow your loved ones to give in to the temptation to stop going out or engaging in activities. This is when muscles start wasting, bones become brittle, and poor movement patterns set in. This leads to injury, which leads to less movement, which leads to cognitive decline: it is a vicious cycle. Even just a little daily walk can make a huge difference and will also provide vitamin D to further strengthen the bones.
Socializing: Many people once they reach old age will stop socializing and going out which is of course a huge shame and will cause them to become much older much faster. Show your loved ones that just because they are older, they don't necessarily have to shut themselves away and there are still plenty of ways they can socialize going out for coffee or to the pub as they would have used to. If they don't know many people anymore then suggest they join a class or a club or even that they volunteer somewhere.
Even Skype will do a good job!
Disabled Access: If your Mum or Dad is starting to struggle to get around then putting a handrail in the bathroom or widening the corridors for a wheelchair can make a world of difference. This is something else you need to encourage without condescending.
Medical Alert System: An alert device is something that you wear or keep around the house and then can activate when you need help. Perhaps you would use this when you take a fall, or when you have some kind of attack for instance.
Even better are those that combine in-built GPS tracking, or perhaps sensors that can automatically detect problems with the heart rate.
Some elderly patients might be resistant to the idea of having their health and movement tracked. But responding quickly to a problem can be the difference between life and death – or prevent a life-changing accident. Something as simple as a broken hip can often be the start of a very steep and serious downward decline, which is why it is so important to take precautions even when they’re not necessary – so they’ll be there when they are!
