Keeping You Safe From COVID-19
Interested in a career at Golden Heart Senior Care. APPLY HERE!

Tag: Nutrition

Dietary Changes Can Help With Arthritis Pain

Posted on 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 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.

Does Your Senior’s Diet Include Seafood?

Posted on by Craig Bass
In-Home Care in Henderson NV
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 by Craig Bass
Home Care Assistance in Summerlin NV
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.

Food to Avoid When Your Senior Has Arthritis

Posted on by Craig Bass
Companion Care at Home in Henderson NV
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.

Healthy Food Options for Seniors with Tooth Loss

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Henderson NV

Full or partial dentures are a common dental aid for the elderly. Your elderly loved one may be having difficulty chewing and swallowing after receiving new dentures. While your loved one’s new dentures may make them feel awkward at first, there are certain things they may do that may help.

It might be challenging to encourage a senior to eat more if they experience discomfort while doing so. If you’re too busy to shop for groceries or prepare meals for your elderly loved ones, or if you’re concerned about their safety in their own home, it may be time to look into elder care options. Even dentures can guarantee your aging loved one is eating well and receiving enough to eat.

It is possible for seniors who have lost all of their teeth to still eat healthily. It’s important to remember that many healthy soft meals can taste great. Incorporate these items into your elderly loved one’s diet if poor tooth health prevents them from eating normally.

Yogurt Is Healthy, Affordable, and Nutritious for Seniors

Yogurt is versatile, serving as either a breakfast or snack item. For example, its taste may be altered by adding pureed fruit or honey. It’s a good source of protein, which elderly people who have trouble chewing tough meat may not receive enough of in their diets. To make this lunch as healthy as possible, choose yogurt with a low-fat and a low-sugar option.

Eat a Scrambled Egg Breakfast

Eggs are a fantastic way to add protein to your family’s diet. To make the eggs more manageable for consumption, you may modify their consistency. You can serve eggs on their own, but they’ll have more nutritional value and taste if you add some softened veggies, such as bell peppers, in little bits or pureed before you scramble them.

Make a Soup for Dinner

Seniors on a soft-food diet may get dissatisfied with their diet out of boredom. Soups are fantastic since they allow you to regularly surprise your loved one with various tastes. Alternate nights of minestrone and chicken noodle soup. Keep in mind that you’ll need to cut the components for the soup even smaller than you would if you were eating it by yourself. Using a hand blender will help the soup mix into a smoother consistency, making it more straightforward for your loved one to swallow. The best thing about soup is elder care can help make it and then freeze it to eat later on.

Baked Fish with Rice

Fish is a great way to add healthy fats and protein to your family’s diet, and it is also much more tender than other varieties of meat. Soft-meat eaters are better off with salmon and cod than swordfish or mahi-mahi. Crunchy breading should also be avoided, so look for a recipe that employs citrus juice or fresh herbs instead.

Oatmeal is Great for Seniors

Breakfast cereals and granola bars may no longer be an option, but there are other ways to ensure that your loved one is getting enough whole grains in their diet. Oatmeal, like yogurt, is adaptable because of its flavoring options. Instead of sugar, you may use applesauce to sweeten the oats. You may add nut butter to your oats to make them more flavorful.

Source
https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/tooth-loss/seniors

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.

The Best 4 Things Senior Men Can Do To Stay Healthy

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care in Henderson NV
Home Care in Henderson NV

June is Men’s Health Month and now is the time to talk to your senior father about how he can stay healthy as he gets older. Senior men tend to minimize their health risks and conditions which can leave them open to developing more serious problems as they get older. One way that you can try to get your senior dad to focus on his health is to hire home care for your dad. Home care will help him make some healthy lifestyle changes that will improve his health now and in the future like:

Quit Smoking

Convincing a senior man to quit smoking can be a real challenge, especially if he’s been smoking for decades. The excuse that most senior men give for why they won’t quit is that it doesn’t matter at their point in their lives anyway. But it does matter. Within weeks of quitting smoking the lungs will start to repair themselves and create healthy cells. It is never too late to quit smoking. If your senior loved one needs help to quit make an appointment with their doctor. The doctor may be able to prescribe medication that will help your senior loved one quit smoking.

Exercise Daily

Exercise has been compared to the fountain of youth when it comes to aging. Senior men should be getting at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five days each week. It doesn’t have to be strenuous exercise but going for a walk, riding a bike, playing tennis, or playing golf are all excellent ways for senior men to be active. If your dad isn’t someone that likes to exercise you should help him find an activity that he likes to do so that he will want to be more active. The more active he is the healthier he will be as he gets older.

Limit Alcohol

Alcohol in moderation is fine, but men have a tendency to overdo it when it comes to alcohol. Having a beer after dinner watching TV is not problem but drinking in excess or drinking every day could start to impact his health. If your dad enjoys a drink you should talk with him about how much alcohol is healthy and how much alcohol isn’t. If your senior dad can limit his alcohol consumption to just once and awhile or if he drinks only small amounts at one time it can help him avoid some serious health problems in the future.

Get Regular Medical Checkups

Men are less likely to see the doctor regularly and that can significantly hurt their chances of staying healthy. Catching age-related illnesses early can make a big difference in how long your father lives and what his quality of life is like. Get your dad started seeing his primary care doctor on a regular basis and getting regular cancer screenings so that if he does develop any serious health problems the doctor can start treating the problem as quickly as possible.

 

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.

How to Encourage Your Senior Parent to Eat Healthy Foods

Posted on by Craig Bass
Personal Care at Home in Summerlin NV
Personal Care at Home in Summerlin NV

It can be so hard to encourage your elderly loved ones to make healthy life choices, especially if they grew up not focusing on health or eating right. Diet and health have gone through many trends and if your parents grew up a certain way, they may view health differently than you. A few generations ago being skinny meant you were too poor to eat. Now that mindset could not be any more wrong as obesity rises among US citizens.

It is crucial to help your senior eat healthily but how can you do that when you don’t live with your senior full time? If you notice your senior is struggling to eat on their own, going for quick foods, they may need help eating or cooking and this may require something like personal care at home.

As you become older, the concept of what constitutes a healthy diet shifts. You require fewer calories as you age since your metabolism slows down. Certain nutrients are also required by your body in larger amounts. As a result, it’s now more critical than ever to eat foods that are high in nutrients and fiber. Here are some good tips for getting your senior to eat healthily.

Understand What a Healthy Meal Looks Like

If you’re familiar with the USDA’s food pyramid, you’ll recognize this new method of determining what individuals should consume each day: You may find it under the name MyPlate. This straightforward diagram demonstrates how to properly arrange the five major food categories on your plate. For a healthy diet, these are the essentials. If you don’t know what a person should be eating, it can be hard to tell your mom or dad what to do.

Always Read the Label

A senior may not have grown up in a time when food had extra chemicals or was ever so processed. This means they may not know that they should be reading the nutrition label and sometimes this job will pass on to you. The nutrition label will help you understand how many servings should be eaten, what exactly is in something, how many calories, and how much sodium and carbs are in something. This information can be crucial when trying to make healthier choices.

Focus on Hydration

Seniors may not feel thirsty like they did when they were younger and because of this, they are at a higher risk of dehydration which is incredibly unhealthy. Drinking water is an essential nutrient, as well. Drink little quantities of water often throughout the day to avoid becoming dehydrated. Maintain a low intake of sugary and salty fluids, unless in cases when your doctor has advised you differently.

Personal Care at Home Care Help

When a senior chooses to age in place, it can be challenging for a family who works full time to help. This is another reason why personal care at home can be so useful. They will help your senior bathe, get dressed, and eat throughout the day. This can also be a way for seniors to feel like they have more independence rather than relying on their adult children.

Source
https://medlineplus.gov/nutritionforolderadults.html

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

How Seniors Can Make Healthy Meals With Canned Food

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care in Summerlin NV
Home Care in Summerlin NV

Canned food is something that seniors should keep in their kitchen cupboards. Canned food is easy to cook with, it lasts for a long time, and it can be a healthy alternative to using fresh vegetables that might go bad or require a lot of preparation. Just make sure that your senior loved one has a can opener that someone with limited grip strength can use. February is National Canned Food month. It’s a great time for seniors and their families to learn these easy ways to use canned food to make healthy meals:

Canned Meats Are A Great Protein Source

Canned meats are a great source of protein for seniors. They come in small cans or large cans so seniors who are on their own don’t need to buy a lot of food they won’t eat. And canned meats like tuna, salmon, and chicken can be eaten in many different ways that easy to prepare. Canned salmon and tuna are a fantastic source of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids too. Seniors can mix tuna and salmon with spices and dressing for a delicious protein rich dish. Canned chicken can be added to green salads, thrown into soups, or tossed into a pasta sauce to add some healthy protein.

Rinse Canned Vegetables For Better Flavor

Canned vegetables are an easy to make alternative to fresh or frozen vegetables. They just need to be heated and they’re ready to go. But sometimes people find the taste of canned vegetables a little salty. To get canned vegetables to taste as good as frozen vegetables your senior loved one just needs to rinse them off before cooking them. Rinsing them in a little cold water will restore the great taste of canned vegetables.

Make One Pot Meals With Canned Foods

Often seniors prefer to make easy meals, especially if they have mobility challenges. A home care provider can help seniors cook more complicated meals with fresh ingredients. But, when seniors are alone, canned foods make it easy for them to make healthy one pot dishes. Seniors can make a delicious quick and easy one pot meal by adding their favorite canned vegetables to some rice or pasta. They can toss in some beans, chickpeas, or canned chicken for protein and within minutes sit down to a delicious meal all made in one pot.

Canned Fruit Is Great For Dessert

Seniors who are watching their weight can enjoy a sweet treat anytime of the year with canned fruit. As long as the fruit is packed in water and not sugary syrup canned fruit is a great dessert for seniors. The fruit is soft and easy to eat. It’s already portioned in appropriate servings. And since canned foods last for a long time seniors won’t have to worry about the fruit going bad before they can eat it.

Source
https://food.unl.edu/healthy-bites-february-national-canned-food-month

If you are considering 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.

Practical Ways That Seniors Can Maintain A Healthy Weight

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Las Vegas NV
Elder Care in Las Vegas NV

During January, seniors should think about what their healthy weight range is and how they can stay at a healthy weight. That’s because January is Healthy Weight Awareness Month. Weight has a huge impact on health, especially for seniors. Being overweight can make seniors more likely to develop serious illnesses. It can also make existing health problems worse. If your senior loved ones are at a healthy weight there are some practical things they can do to maintain that healthy weight like:

Count Calories And Track Meals

If your senior loved ones are at a healthy weight now then they are doing something right. Encourage them to keep a food journal that lists everything they are eating each day and to use a calorie app on their phone or tablet to keep track of the calories that they are eating. For seniors the best way to maintain a healthy weight is to pay attention to the calories that they are eating and make sure they are not eating more calories than they should. More calories means weight gain.

Stay Active with Help from Elder Care

Continuing to get physical activity will help your senior loved ones stay at a healthy weight. Limiting calories to a healthy amount and getting regular exercise are the best things that seniors can do to stay at a healthy weight. Seniors who find that they are losing their motivation to be active can get encouragement and support from an elder care provider. An elder care provider can also help your senior loved ones track their meals and calories.

Develop New Hobbies

Most seniors end up overeating or snacking too much because they are bored. Trying new hobbies and picking up new skills will keep seniors busy, discourage them from snacking, and give them a sense of purpose again. A large number of seniors put off developing hobbies when they were younger because they had bills to pay and a family to support or children to take care of. So now is the time for your senior loved ones to explore some of the things they always wanted to try but were never able to. Encourage your senior loved ones to try new things like playing an instrument, learning a new sport, reading a whole series of books, painting, or gardening. You may even want to try one or two new hobbies with them and make it a family hobby.

Be More Social

Isolation and depression can also be responsible for seniors eating too much or not exercising and gaining weight. Seniors need to be see people and visit with other seniors in order to be healthy. Encourage your senior loved one to join a senior’s center, take an exercise class at the gym, join a craft circle, or participate in other social activities and groups. Volunteer work is a fantastic way for seniors to socialize and do some meaningful work.

Source
https://www.ncoa.org/older-adults/health/diet-nutrition/healthy-weight

If you are considering elder 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.