Heart-Healthy Habits for Seniors

We are sharing some Heart-Healthy Habits for Seniors this American Heart Month. Read on to know more about how to safeguard your senior’s heart. Being mindful of their heart health status is a key to making positive change.
Elderly 65 and older likely suffer from risk factors like heart attack, stroke, coronary heart disease, and heart failure. Heart disease can make the elderly suffer from disabilities limited mobility and create an overall decline in their health.

Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
While it’s important to be aware of all risk factors for cardiovascular disease, it’s valuable to recognize that not all of them are within our control. For example, a few risk factors that the Mayo Clinic lists are:

• Age: Risk increases as we age due to the damaged and narrowed arteries.
• Sex: Men are generally more likely to suffer from coronary artery disease. But women too fall under the risk category when they reach the age of menopause.
• Family history: Seniors with a family history of heart disease are at higher risk.

Focusing on what we can control can help us reduce the risks of aging; that we don’t have control over. Specifically, those risks are:

• Smoking: It’s a significant risk because the damage smoking does to your lungs means there won’t be enough oxygen in your blood.
• While being overweight is not a specific risk in and of itself, it makes other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 Diabetes, much worse in older adults.
• Stress can damage your arteries and may worsen the risk for heart disease.
• Physical inactivity and unhealthy diet.

A few good Heart-Healthy Habits for seniors are listed below.

1. Exercise Routine

The elders suffer from many unwanted health complications when they are not physically active. So your older adult will benefit from some light exercises like chair yoga or seated exercises. Reach out to your physician to suggest physical activity based on your older adult’s comfort. It is recommended that they get at least 30 minutes of light exercise daily.

2. Eating a Heart-healthy Diet

The nutritional requirements of the elderly are different from the rest of the family. Therefore it is important to realize that eating healthy and nutritional is for a senior’s overall well-being.
Ensure that older adults’ plate includes lots of vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins like lean meat, eggs, beans. As much as possible, try to serve whole-wheat pasta and brown rice. Consider serving foods with little to no added sugar, saturated fats, and reduced sodium.

3. Quit Smoking or Drinking Excessive Alcohol

Tobacco and excessive alcohol are considered one of the few leading factors leading to an unhealthy heart.

4. Sleeping Well

The benefits of a good night’s sleep are endless for positive aging. Not only does it improve concentration and memory formation, but it also helps to correct any cell damage and refresh your immune system for an even more productive tomorrow! Therefore sleeping well keeps your heart healthy and fit.

5. Get up to Date on all Personal Health Records

It is important to realize that getting regular health checkups helps maintain good health for the elderly. Keeping personal health records updated to enjoy better health is beneficial for everyone. It especially works well for older adults with caregivers who need to keep a tab on their health. In case of an emergency, having records ready can always be helpful for health care providers as well as their caregivers.

6. Keeping Stress Under Control

As we age, stress tends to bother our minds and overall health. When left unmanaged, it can lead to an overall decline and create heart diseases. Engaging in moderate exercises like walking, yoga, or swimming has proven stress-reducing benefits.

Home Care Powered by AUAF Is Keeping Seniors Heart Healthy

Having an at-home caregiver is a great way for seniors who live at home to make the lifestyle changes needed to keep heart diseases away. Whether it’s medication reminders to help you remember when to take your blood pressure medication or meal planning to ensure fresh, healthy meals are available. An in-home care aide can provide valuable care.

Even having someone come in to do light housekeeping for a few hours per week can make sure you’ve got the energy to get some heart-healthy exercise. Home Care powered by AUAF provides elderly care services that can help out with various tasks that can help you stay healthy.