You may be worried about the health of your loved ones or family members as they grow older. The risk of chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, dementia, and type 2 diabetes increases with age. Adopting and maintaining certain key behaviors can make older adults healthier and live longer. It’s not too late for you to promote healthy lifestyles in your family members.
Healthy lifestyle changes can make older adults more independent. This is important for both their quality of living and yours. You may be forced to take on a caregiver role sooner than you expected if a family member becomes less independent due to disability, chronic illness or other factors. This can have a negative impact on family dynamics and finances.
What can you do to support and promote healthy habits in older loved ones? Learn how to support and encourage healthy habits among your loved ones.
Prevent Social isolation and loneliness
People often spend more time alone as they age. As people age, they are more likely to be socially isolated and lonely.
Social isolation and loneliness may sound the same, but they are not the same. Social isolation and loneliness are different. Loneliness refers to the feeling of being isolated or alone, while social isolate is the absence of regular social contact. Social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of health problems such as depression, heart disease, and cognitive decline.
You can help older adults stay connected to their social networks by being a family. Here are some things you can do to help:
- Set up daily, weekly or biweekly video or phone chats.
- Encourage them to find others who share their interests. This could be through a gardening club, a volunteer organization or a walking group.
- Call 800-677-1116 or search the Eldercare Locator. The Eldercare Locator, a national service, connects older adults with local resources that can help them.
Encourage physical activity
There are many reasons to include physical activities in your daily routine. Exercise can reduce stress and anxiety levels, improve balance, lower the risk of falling, increase sleep and decrease depression. Exercise regularly can help people live longer and better. This means they may enjoy more years with less pain or disabilities. A lack of exercise can result in more doctor visits, hospitalizations and an increased risk of chronic diseases.
It may be hard to encourage older adults to exercise — it’s difficult to convince someone to begin a new hobby — but the rewards will be worth the effort. Here are some tips to encourage daily exercise and other forms of movement.
- Encourage your loved one to do a variety of activities including strength training, balance and flexibility. You could walk around your neighborhood, lift weights, garden, or stretch.
- Talk about how to incorporate more activity into your daily life. Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week, with muscle strengthening activities occurring at least twice a week.
- Shop with them for the appropriate clothing for their activities. Remember, many activities don’t require expensive equipment. They can, for example, use water bottles filled with weights to strengthen their muscles or walk outdoors or in a mall instead of on a treadmill.
- Share with us your favorite physical activities. Do you have any activities that you can do together? You’ll be able to promote social interaction and physical activity by doing this.
Healthy eating is important
Healthy eating is important for healthy aging. Eating well isn’t just about weight, as with exercise. A healthy diet helps support muscles and bones which in turn can improve balance and independence. A healthy diet that includes a variety fresh fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains, healthy oils, and lean protein can boost immunity and reduce the risk of health problems like heart disease, obesity, diabetes type 2, stroke, and certain cancers.
It can be a great thing to share family recipes with others, but in some cases these dishes may be full of unhealthy sugars and fats. It can be difficult to change long-held habits, but you may find that there are some new favorites on the menu! Here are some tips for incorporating a healthy eating routine into your family’s daily life:
- Pick out healthy foods at the supermarket.
- Talk about their favorite recipes and how you can make healthier versions of them. For example, substituting yogurt for sour cream, or olive oil for butter.
- Visit them every week and cook a healthy meal with them. Consider preparing extra food and packaging the leftovers in individual portions so that they can enjoy them later in the week.
- When you visit, look inside their refrigerator and pantry. Check for healthy food and drinks, as well as ensuring they’re not eating expired items.
- Encourage them to discuss their diet with their doctor and pharmacist, and whether they need any vitamins and minerals.
Learn about and how to create a healthy meal plan.
Regularly visit your doctor for a checkup
Regular medical exams and screenings are important for older family members. MedlinePlus has information on health screenings for men and women . Visiting your doctor annually and perhaps more frequently depending on how you feel can help reduce the risk of disease. Regular checkups will also allow you to catch any concerns earlier and increase the likelihood of effective treatment.
Others avoid such appointments at all cost. You can support your family’s visits to health care providers in a number of ways.
- Encourage them to contact their doctor as soon as they experience pain or new symptoms.
- Inquire about any upcoming doctor’s appointments, including specialists. Have they marked the calendar with their appointments? They need help with scheduling appointments.
- Offer to take them to their appointment or to go along with them.
- Do they communicate with their doctors? Do the doctors respond to their questions?
- If needed, help them to manage their medications. Be sure that keeps a list of all their medications including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements. Share this list with your health care provider.
- Ask the older member of your family if you, or another member of your family, would feel comfortable with you having access to their medical files and allowing them to speak to their doctors. It could help them keep track of their medications and appointments.
It can take time and effort to change a person’s behavior. Try to be patient if you want to help your loved ones live healthier lives. If you don’t see results right away, try something else or stick with what is working. Your encouragement and support can make a big difference!
Original Blog: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/healthy-aging-tips-older-adults-your-life
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