Health Care: Take Action for Healthy Aging

Being healthy is something to be incredibly thankful for. As the article below from Home Instead Senior Care stresses, there are many tips that will help you maintain your health as you go through the different stages of life.

Q: I hear a lot about keeping healthy, but what are ways that seniors can do that? My parents are both 76 and I’d like to provide some constructive advice since they don’t get out much anymore.

A: There’s no time like the present to talk with your parents about keeping healthy. The following, from the National Institute on Aging, are tips for healthy living for seniors:

Eat a balanced diet
Exercise regularly
Get regular check-ups
Don't smoke, it's never too late to quit
Practice safety habits at home to prevent falls and fractures
Always wear your seatbelt when traveling
Avoid overexposure to the sun and the cold
If you drink, moderation is the key
When you drink, let someone else drive
Keep personal and financial records in order to simplify budgeting and investing
Keep a positive attitude toward life
Do things that make you happy.

Fortunately, your parents still have one another. Encourage them to make some of these tips a priority in their lives as a couple. For instance, remind them about the great exercise benefits of walking, whether it’s a jaunt around the block when the weather is nice or a stroll to the neighborhood corner market.

Another very important part of a healthy plan is companionship and socialization. If your parents don’t participate in many activities with family or friends, see what you can do to change that. Organize a family dinner or coffee with their neighbors. Once they start the habit of socializing with others their age, they may then be more comfortable initiating that on their own.

If they don’t necessarily warm to these ideas, consider hiring a companion from Home Instead Senior Care. The company’s CAREGivers are matched with seniors of similar interests to accompany them on many of the pursuits that they enjoy, and to help them discover new adventures. Many of the company’s CAREGivers – who are bonded and insured – are seniors themselves who also are seeking the companionship of others their age.

(Submitted by Scott Johnson, Home Instead Senior Care, Oakville, ON.)

For more information contact Scott at 905.847.8433.

printer friendly

Email this article