Healthy Habits Archives - Golden Heart Summerlin

Dietary Changes Can Help With Arthritis Pain

Posted on September 1, 2023September 1, 2023 by Craig Bass

Your mom’s arthritis is worsening, and she’s struggling to do things around her home that used to be easy. Her doctor has recommended several things to help with arthritis pain and inflammation, and one of them is her diet. How will dietary changes help her? Find out more about how nutrition affects arthritis, and how elder care can help.

The Benefits of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

The Arthritis Foundation recommends whole foods with minimal processing and healthy fats, especially extra virgin olive oil. For this reason, the Mediterranean Diet is ideal. The foods you focus on improve the gut biome that can help ease inflammation that triggers many common health issues, including arthritis flare-ups.

The foods to focus on in an anti-inflammatory diet include:

Cold water fish like anchovies, herring, sardines, and tuna
Heart-healthy oils, especially avocado, extra virgin olive oil, and walnut oil
Legumes such as chickpeas, kidney beans, and pinto beans
Nuts and seeds like almonds, pistachios, and walnuts
Produce including a variety of fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors, especially blueberries, broccoli, cherries, kale, and spinach. Nightshade vegetables like eggplant, red bell peppers, and tomatoes are also good
Whole grains, especially those that have gone through minimal processing like farro, hulled barley, and quinoa

When your mom is planning her meals, she should aim for her plate to be half vegetables and fruit, a quarter grain, and a quarter protein. She wants to eat more vegetables than anything else.

It might help her to have someone sit down and plan suitable meals and snacks all week. Once she has the menu plan built and posted on a fridge, corkboard, or online spreadsheet, she can build a shopping list. If she needs help shopping, get someone to go with her and make sure she chooses the proper ingredients.

Exercise Is Also Important

In addition to dietary changes, your mom should be getting daily exercise. A brisk walk for at least 30 minutes per day is a good start. If she can mix up the types of exercise she does, it’s even better. A bit of cardio, strength training, and Yoga or Tai Chi are good ways to get a variety while also developing breathing skills that help with relaxation.

What if she hates going outside for walks on her own? Arrange for a caregiver to join her on walks. Exercise helps strengthen muscles and joints, but it’s also helpful for weight loss. If your mom is overweight, losing some weight may help her ease arthritis pain in the ankles, knees, and hips.

Elder care services can help with arthritis pain that isn’t easing. Instead of struggling to do things on her own, your mom can have a helping hand with things like laundry, housework, and meals. Learn more about elder care by making a call.

Sources:
https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/nutrition/anti-inflammatory/the-ultimate-arthritis-diet

If you are considering elder care in Henderson, NV for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

5 Common Nutritional Deficiencies in Seniors

Posted on July 20, 2023July 30, 2023 by Craig Bass

Three out of five adults aged 65 or older have lost some of their sense of taste. In addition, an older adult’s stomach empties slowly, so they feel fuller longer and may not eat as much. These are just two of many circumstances that can lead to nutritional deficiencies in seniors. Here are some of the most common vitamins and minerals that seniors become deficient in, and how senior home care can help.

B-Vitamins

The value of B vitamins lies in their help with cognitive function and mood. The three most common are folic acid, B-12, and B-6. Around 26% of older adults have a B-12 deficiency. Studies found that 61% of older adults had a B-6 deficiency.

Calcium and Vitamin D3

Calcium and vitamin D3 are necessary for bone health, yet estimates find that less than 1% of women get enough calcium and about 25% of men get enough. A high-sodium diet leads to calcium getting flushed out of the body faster.

Deficiencies are linked to osteopenia and osteoporosis. If your dad falls and doesn’t get enough calcium, there’s a higher chance that his bone is weaker and will fracture. While women are more likely considered for osteoporosis risk, men can also get the disease. It’s worth asking your dad’s doctor if he should undergo a bone density screening.

Iron

Iron plays an important role in the transportation of oxygen throughout the body. Iron helps form hemoglobin, which is the component in red blood cells that transports oxygen to your brain, lungs, etc. If you don’t have enough iron, anemia occurs and can make you easily exhausted, depressed, and impact cognitive function.

An estimated 15% of men aged 70 or older do not get enough iron and have anemia. Foods rich in vitamin C, such as oranges and berries, help the body absorb iron, so that’s an important consideration if your dad’s doctor tested his blood and believes he should start taking iron supplements.

Protein

Around 30% of adults aged 60 or older are losing muscle mass because they don’t eat enough protein. It’s over 50% for adults aged 80 or older. Changing metabolic function means that aging bodies don’t generate muscle protein as quickly. Muscle mass decreases if protein intake isn’t high enough to provide muscles with the necessary protein.

Recommendations are that you eat 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of weight. A 200-pound adult (90.7 kilograms) should be eating around 90 to 109 grams of protein per day. Spreading that protein throughout the day is better than getting it all at once.

Zinc

Zinc is essential when it comes to immune system function. Collagen production diminishes in older adults, and that impacts how much zinc is absorbed. Older men need 11 mg of zinc per day, yet just over half of older adults don’t get enough.

The Value of a Balanced Diet

The best way to avoid deficiencies is by eating a balanced diet throughout the day. This includes eating vegetables and fruits of every color, lean proteins like seafood, poultry, beans, and tofu, whole grains, and dairy.

If your dad can’t prepare meals that meet his nutritional needs, arrange senior home care. He can have caregivers available to help him plan and prepare meals that provide the nutrients he needs to stay healthy. Learn more about meal preparation services by calling an advisor in senior home care.

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6971894/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3579689

If you are considering senior home care in Las Vegas, NV for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

6 Tips to Revive Aging and Thinning Hair

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Craig Bass

Personal Care at Home in Las Vegas NV

As seniors age, they’re likely to notice changes in their hair, including thinning, loss of volume, and more. There are steps that seniors can take to revive their aging hair, but they might need more help. Personal care at home can make a big difference in keeping seniors’ hair in good condition, even if it is experiencing challenges related to aging.

Nourish Hair from Within

One of the keys to healthy hair is providing it with the right nutrients. Ensure seniors have a well-balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins to fuel both body and hair. Include foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats in their meals as much as possible. Additionally, consider adding supplements like biotin, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids, after consulting with their healthcare provider. Home care can make it easier for seniors to eat a more balanced diet.

Use Gentle Hair Care Practices

It’s important to be gentle with aging hair in order to avoid further damage and breakage. A wide-toothed comb or a brush with soft bristles can make detangling easier and gentler. Heat styling, harsh chemical treatments, and tight hairstyles put strain on hair follicles that can make already fragile hair even more damaged. Shampoos and conditioners made for thinning hair can help to improve hair health. Personal care at home helps aging adults to have clean hair through gentle practices.

Protect Hair from Environmental Damage

Environmental factors like the sun, wind, and pollution can take a toll on senior hair’s health. Shielding hair from excessive sun exposure by wearing hats or using UV-protectant hair products can make a big difference. Avoid prolonged exposure to chlorinated water by wetting hair before swimming and using a clarifying shampoo afterward. A swim cap offers even more protection.

Embrace Hair-Boosting Practices

Incorporating hair-boosting practices into a senior’s daily routine can be helpful, too. One idea is to switch pillowcases to silk or satin ones to reduce friction and minimize hair breakage. Looking for other solutions, like not rubbing hair with a towel to dry it, can help family caregivers to find other ways to help.

Utilize Stress Management

Stress can contribute to hair loss and exacerbate existing hair thinning, especially for seniors. Adopting stress management techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, or engaging in hobbies and activities can reduce stress and help to limit hair loss. When seniors have more help with daily activities, they’re able to rest more as well, devoting more time to reducing stress in their daily lives.

Consult a Professional

If seniors are experiencing significant hair loss or thinning, it is advisable to seek professional guidance. A dermatologist or a trichologist can evaluate their condition, identify any underlying causes, and recommend appropriate treatments. They can provide personalized advice and help seniors to develop a tailored hair care routine based on their specific needs.

Thinning hair can be disheartening for seniors, so it’s important to take proactive steps to take the best possible care of it. Personal care at home can offer a holistic approach that allows seniors to experience better quality of life overall and know that their personal care needs, like their hair, are in good hands.

If you are considering personal care at home in Las Vegas, NV for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Helping Seniors With Alzheimer’s Sleep Better

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Craig Bass

Alzheimer’s Care in Las Vegas NV

Seniors who have Alzheimer’s often have problems with disrupted sleep. They may get up and wander in the night, or have nightmares, or be unable to sleep because their internal body clock is off and they think it’s daytime when it’s really night. Medication side effects and other problems can interfere with their ability to sleep as well.

Alzheimer’s care, which is specialized care for seniors with Alzheimer’s, can help seniors sleep better by offering customized care solutions for your senior parent. Trained caregivers that specialize in Alzheimer’s care will work with your family and your senior parent to help seniors with sleeping issues like:

Insomnia

Seniors often struggle with insomnia, even seniors that don’t have Alzheimer’s. Insomnia can be tough to solve for seniors with Alzheimer’s because some of the traditional methods used to fight insomnia like reading or watching TV may not be things that seniors with Alzheimer’s can do. But there are some things that can help seniors with Alzheimer’s fight insomnia like finding any type of soothing and repetitive task for them to do. Folding laundry can be a very effective way to get a senior with Alzheimer’s calm enough to sleep. Using a fidget muff or a fidget blanket can also help them get to sleep.

Wandering

When seniors wander at night they may be agitated but unable to express why they’re agitated. They could be getting up and walking around because they know something is off but they don’t know what. If your senior parent is wandering a lot at night or getting out of bed frequently a caregiver can try to minimize the chances of wandering by making sure that your senior parent has a drink of water and a light snack before bed. That way they won’t be hungry or thirsty. Pain can also cause them to be agitated and wander so seniors need to be given their prescribed medication before bed too.

Disrupted Circadian Rhythm

If your senior parent is having trouble sleeping because they think it’s daytime when it’s really night you can try to reset their Circadian rhythm by using light therapy or by making sure they get outdoors for a good portion of the day where they will be exposed to sunlight. The sunlight should reset their Circadian rhythm and help them sleep the way they should when it’s dark outside. Disrupted Circadian rhythm can occur in seniors when the seasons change or when the clock moves forward or back.

Nightmares

It can be hard to know if your senior parent with Alzheimer’s is having nightmares if they can’t express to you that they’re having scary dreams or tell you about those dreams. But if the care provider reports that your senior parent is showing signs of having nightmares you can talk to their doctor about medications that might be able to help. If the nightmares are a side effect of medication changing that medication should eliminate the nightmares.

If you are considering Alzheimer’s care in Las Vegas, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Five Solutions to Help Your Senior Kick Stress

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Craig Bass

24-Hour Home Care in Las Vegas NV

Nobody likes feeling stressed and the last thing you want for your elderly family member is for her to be experiencing stress on a regular basis. Stress causes problems with appetite, sleep habits, and can aggravate health issues, too. Figuring out a solution is important so that your senior can go back to living her best life. Here are a few ways to reduce stress and how 24-hour home care can help:

Address Underlying Causes of Stress

There are a lot of possibilities for what might be contributing to your senior’s stress levels. Look for hints that can help you to dig deeper. Is your senior experiencing health issues? Whatever she might be worried about, there is likely an answer that is simpler than you expect. If you’re comfortable doing so, talk to your senior about her stressors. Some aging adults aren’t comfortable talking about how they’re feeling, so it might take more than one conversation to dig deeper.

Look for Ways to Help Her Feel More Comfortable at Home

Stress about her living situation, or fear that she might have to leave her home, could be another factor to consider. Some of the things to consider could be whether household tasks are becoming more of a challenge for her. If that’s the case, elder care professionals can be the right answer. They can handle those daily tasks so that your senior doesn’t have to worry about them.

Find Ways for Her to Cope that Are Healthier

Coping mechanisms are something that everyone relies on from time to time. If your elderly family member is leaning on coping mechanisms that aren’t truly supporting her needs, that can be leaving her feeling more stress than she should have to experience. Healthier coping mechanisms can include options like meditating, taking a walk, or engaging in activities that fire her brain.

Consider 24-hour Home Care Providers

If your elderly family member is having more than a little bit of trouble with daily tasks, it might make a lot of sense to hire 24-hour home care providers. They can be there around the clock, helping her to feel more secure overnight. This is especially helpful if you’ve also been burning the candle at both ends because you’ve been worried about your senior.

Make it Easier to Stay in Touch

So many aging adults find it stressful to be out of touch with the people they care about. If you can find ways to make it a lot easier for your elderly family member to stay in contact with the people that she loves, her stress levels may go down. Video calls, even group video calls, can be a lot easier for your senior than she expects once she is set up properly to have them according to a regular routine.

Ultimately, there can be a host of things causing your senior to feel more stressed than she’s comfortable with on a regular basis. You may not be able to address every single stressor for her, but you can do a lot to address as many of them as possible.

If you are considering 24-hour home care in Las Vegas, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

How to Improve Heart Health as a Senior

Posted on December 16, 2022 by Craig Bass

In-Home Care in Summerlin NV

As your body ages, the chance of developing cardiovascular disease goes up. This means a senior really needs to focus on overall heart health, and having in-home care keeps them on the right path with healthy habits. When seniors start giving up on things like diet and exercise because they can no longer do what they used to, it’s time to think about hiring help like in-home care professionals. They may be able to help your senior focus on boosting heart health and manage pre-existing conditions through a healthy lifestyle. Here are some ways your senior can boost heart health quickly and efficiently.

Understand Heart Healthy Activities

Exercising regularly is still recommended as a means of maintaining and improving cardiovascular health. However, even with in-home care help, a senior should always consult a doctor before trying a new health routine. If they’re not used to being super active, it can have a negative impact if they push their bodies too hard. Always ask a professional what exercises a senior should do before doing it. Once a professional doctor is consulted, an in-home care specialist can help a senior stick to a specific routine for optimal heart health. Exercise doesn’t mean running marathons or lifting healthy weights, but it can be something simple like a brisk walk every day or stretching with yoga each morning. Find something your senior loves to do with a doctor’s approval and add it to their daily routine.

Quit Bad Habits Like Smoking

You’ve heard it before, smoking is bad for you. Not only is it terrible for your lungs, but it also impacts how strong your heart is too. This is something that can be easier to talk about than actually do. Ask a doctor for help and try finding other habits to replace smoking with. A senior may want to smoke when they feel hungry, stressed, sad, or another emotion they can’t quite place. If that’s the case, they may need to talk about what has them in a bad mood. Be an opening ear and help them de-stress without turning to a smoking session.

Encourage Them to be a Healthy Weight

Fad diets don’t work, and they’re not always the healthiest for a senior. If your senior is focused on weight loss or weight gain, help them focus on eating a well-rounded diet. Focus on eating green vegetables, lean proteins, and some fruits throughout the day. The less processed a diet is, the better it is for a senior’s entire body. Eating right won’t just help a seniors heart; it will help their brain and full body too.

Understand the Numbers

When you start looking into health, you will notice there are a lot of numbers and counts. A senior should get their vitamin levels checked, blood pressure, and even cholesterol checked. Some of the time, in-home care can help monitor specific numbers, but a senior should also get blood work done to watch these numbers too. If something is too low or too high, it can impact heart health, and it’s your job to help a senior understand these numbers and what they can do to fix them.

Source
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/heart-over-50/heart-health-aging

If you are considering in-home care in Summerlin, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Does Your Senior’s Diet Include Seafood?

Posted on November 11, 2022 by Craig Bass

In-Home Care in Henderson NV

When you and your senior start planning to improve her diet, one item you might want to include is seafood, especially if your senior doesn’t have any allergies to fish or shellfish. In-home care professionals are a tremendous help any time your senior starts to think about changing her eating habits because they can remove a lot of the uncertainty about meal preparation. Here are some of the great reasons to encourage your senior to eat more seafood.

Seafood Is Full of Nutrients

Your elderly family member might think about seafood being high in protein, and it is. It’s also a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids and tons of other nutrients, like vitamins A and D as well as B complex vitamins. Other nutrients, like selenium, magnesium, and potassium, are also present in seafood in high amounts. When you want to add more nutrient-dense foods into your senior’s diet, seafood is a great option.

It’s Excellent for Brain, Heart, and Eye Health

Brain health is a big concern for aging adults, so eating foods that help to support cognitive functioning is a natural part of helping that happen. The fats in seafood help with brain health, but also help to protect vision. Heart health is another big reason to embrace adding foods with more omega-3 fatty acids to your senior’s diet. The nutrients in seafood help with reducing bad cholesterol, which can be essential when your elderly family member is battling high cholesterol levels. Many people who deal with high blood pressure also find that eating more seafood can help to control those levels as well.

Seafood Might Help Your Senior Get Better Sleep

Some of the nutrients in seafood, especially B vitamins and magnesium, can help your elderly family member to get better quality sleep. That’s especially important if she’s been having trouble sleeping or staying asleep. These nutrients serve as building blocks for building other chemicals and hormones that are necessary for sleep, like melatonin.

Eating More Seafood Can Help with Moods

Getting more seafood in your senior’s diet won’t necessarily solve all of her mental health issues, but the building blocks seafood gives her body can help her to have what she needs to synthesize neurotransmitters that help with mood regulation. Because seafood also helps the brain to be healthier, your senior might get additional mental health benefits from increasing the seafood in her diet.

Preparing Seafood Might Feel More Difficult than it Has to Be

One problem your elderly family member might have is that she may want to eat seafood more often but find that it’s too difficult to prepare on her own. This is a situation in which in-home care providers can be a huge help. Home care professionals can take a lot of the work out of keeping your senior well-nourished, offering her a diet rich in a lot of different types of nutrients, including those from seafood.

Any time you and your senior are considering making big changes to her diet, it’s a good idea to talk with her doctor about it first. There might be other variables that can affect what she needs to be eating, so it’s important to know for sure what her body needs the most.

Source
https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/food/fish/health-benefits

If you are considering in-home care in Henderson, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Hearty, Heart-Smart Recipes That Take Little Time to Prepare

Posted on October 20, 2022 by Craig Bass

Home Care Assistance in Summerlin NV

Heart disease is one of the most common chronic health conditions affecting older adults. Your dad’s cardiologist wants him to make changes to his diet. You don’t have a lot of free time where you can help him out, but you want to do what you can. Here are some quick, hearty meals that don’t take a lot of time to cook. Your dad has heart-healthy meal options, and you’re not spending hours in the kitchen. Elder care providers can also help your senior parent prepare these meals when you can’t be there, and save the leftovers for him to reheat for lunch.

Try these healthy meal ideas:

Chicken Curry

Chop two chicken breasts and put them in a slow cooker. Add a chopped onion, bag of frozen peas, chopped carrots, and half-cup of homemade chicken stock. Stir in a tablespoon of curry powder. Let that cook on low for several hours. About 10 minutes before serving, stir in a cup of low-fat Greek yogurt. Serve over brown rice.

Turkey-Cabbage Soup

Ground turkey is a healthier option than ground beef or ground pork. Aim for 95% lean or higher. Brown it in a pot and add sliced cabbage, diced onion, chopped celery, and chopped carrot.

Drain and rinse a can of cannellini beans and add those to the pot. You also want to add a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and six cups of salt-free vegetable broth. Simmer for an hour. About 15 minutes before the hour is up, add a cup of whole-grain orzo.

Seafood Stew

Chop an onion, three carrots, and three stalks of celery and put everything in a pot. Add a can of whole tomatoes, two cans of chickpeas that have been rinsed, and two chopped potatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce to low for half an hour.

Chop two pounds of cod, pollock, or salmon and add that to the pot. Cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in chopped basil leaves, the juice from half a lemon, and black pepper to taste.

Vegetarian Chili

This is a great meal for a slow cooker. The night before, soak a bag of dried pinto beans. In the morning, drain and rinse them and add them to the slow cooker pot. Add two 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes and rinse each one out with a cup of water that you add to the pot, a diced poblano pepper, and a sprinkling of chipotle powder.

Add a chopped onion, a couple of teaspoons of cumin, a teaspoon of smoked paprika, three stalks of celery that you’ve sliced, and two chopped bell peppers. Cook those on low for eight hours.

Avoid adding extra salt and any sugar. If your dad wants it spicier, you can add cayenne powder. If it’s too thin and watery, thicken it using cornmeal.

How Elder Care Can Help with Healthier Meals

Make sure your dad is following his doctor’s dietary recommendations. His heart health has to be a priority, and elder care providers can cook meals for him. Instead of relying on frozen meals and takeout dinners when you’re not around, hire elder care aides for meal preparation. Elder care can also ensure that your senior is taking their medications with meals when necessary, and take care of dishes and clean-up afterwards. Consider the many benefits of elder care providers for your senior parent.

Source
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/healthy-meal-planning-tips-older-adults

If you are considering elder care in Summerlin, NV for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Simple Ways to Make Sure Your Mom’s Daily Routine Stays On Track

Posted on September 30, 2022 by Craig Bass

Home Care in Henderson NV

As she gets older, your mom has a harder time keeping up with the things she’s supposed to do each day. What steps can you take to make sure her daily routine is completed in a timely manner?

Create a Whiteboard Schedule

Using a permanent marker, complete a whiteboard schedule with checkboxes. Write down the time something needs to be completed and put a box next to it. As your mom or a family caregiver completes the chores on her list, that person can check them off with a dry erase marker. At the end of the day, erase the checks and start over again the next morning.

Set Up Reminders on Smart Devices

Some of the tasks your mom needs to do are easy for her to do on her own as long as she has a reminder. Use smart devices like her Alexa or Google speaker to issue the reminders she needs.

Your mom takes her pills every morning at 10 a.m. You could set an alarm to go off every day at that time. Her smart speaker tells her it’s time to take her pills. When she’s completed the task, she can tell her speaker to stop that reminder or timer.

Share Schedules With Close Friends and Family Members

Build a daily, weekly, and monthly calendar of the things your mom needs to do, appointments she has to keep, or household chores that need to get done. Once it’s completed, share it with close family and family friends.

When they visit, they’ll know if there is something they could do to help out. If your sister plans to stop by Friday afternoon and sees that’s the day your mom likes to grocery shop, she could take her. It helps you out and gives visitors insight into everything that’s going on with your mom throughout the week.

Arrange Unexpected Activities to Ensure They Don’t Conflict With Key Tasks

From time to time, you will have sudden, unplanned events, visits, or activities arise. When possible, arrange them so that they don’t conflict with key tasks.

For example, you know your mom must take her heart medications each morning with breakfast. Those pills usually lower your mom’s energy levels. Try to avoid having visitors or appointments during those low-energy hours. Aim for afternoon visits or appointments instead.

Schedule Services With a Local Home Care Agency

Would it help to have a helper keeping track of your mom’s ADLs and IADLs? Arrange to have professional caregivers helping your mom with the things she needs to complete each day.

Hire home care aides to help your mom manage her daily to-do list. While it’s fine for some tasks to get skipped every now and then, she has some daily activities that are essential to her well-being. Home care aides can ensure those items are completed each day.

Source
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20100401/daily-routines-help-seniors-sleep-better

If you are considering home care in Henderson, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Food to Avoid When Your Senior Has Arthritis

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Craig Bass

Companion Care at Home in Henderson NV

Arthritis symptoms may be improved by adopting dietary modifications. Inflammatory meals like saturated fat and sugar should be avoided. Purine-rich foods may also have to be avoided. However, your seniors may not be as focused as they should on their diet because it may hurt to move around and cook. This leads them to go for easier meals that involve less cooking on their end. If this sounds like your senior, is it time to consider someone who can watch out for them each day and may be able to help with light cleaning, dressing, bathing, and, most importantly, light cooking.

Finding the right companion care at home will be a huge help for seniors who are trying to age in place with painful arthritis. And having someone with them who can do certain tasks easier may allow them to live a higher quality life and focus on things like what foods will worsen their pain and inflammation.

Seniors Should Focus On Fats

Certain types of fats actually make arthritis worse by causing inflammation. A senior should avoid several types that may make things much worse for them. Unfortunately, many of these come in pre-packaged foods that are easy to make.

Omega 6 fatty acids- When consumed in reasonable amounts, omega 6 fatty acids aren’t dangerous. However, the average American consumes much too much of them.
Saturated Fats- This fat may be found in meat, cheese, and butter. People should consume fewer than 10% of their daily calories from saturated fat.
Trans Fats- This fat is detrimental to human health because it lowers “good” cholesterol, elevates “bad” cholesterol, and increases inflammatory levels. In recent years, manufacturers have removed trans fats from most prepared meals, but check the nutrition information panel to be certain.

They Should Avoid Eating Too Much Sugar

According to research, people who consume sugar-sweetened soda have an elevated risk of RA. Excess sugar intake also raises the chance of dying from cardiovascular disease. Obesity, inflammation, and other chronic disorders might also result. Unfortunately, tons of easy meals have added sugar to preserve it and make things taste better. This is not good for you and certainly not good for seniors struggling with inflammation.

Nightshades

You may be wondering precisely what nightshade is? It is any of the following:

tomatoes
bell peppers
chili peppers
eggplant
potatoes

If you think this is something your senior overeats, it’s time to encourage them to keep a food diary. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they should keep track of calories, but to keep track of what they eat and how they feel later on. If a senior cuts something out of their diet and has fewer flare-ups, they may need to stay away from nightshade to stay healthy.

Food High in Purines

Uric acid is formed when the body breaks down purines, found in many meals. Gout attacks may occur when uric acid builds up in the circulation. These types of food include:

red meat or cured meats
organ meat, such as liver
beer and other alcohol
some seafood, such as mussels and scallops

Steering clear of these foods may help lower the chance of getting gout but also minimize inflammation.

If you are considering companion care at home in Henderson, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.