The Best Heart Disease Prevention Tips For Seniors

By Zandrea Durham | January 17, 2023 | Comments Off on The Best Heart Disease Prevention Tips For Seniors

February is American Heart Month and it’s a great time for seniors to focus on doing everything they can to protect their hearts from heart disease. Behavioral and lifestyle changes can go a long way to prevent the development of heart disease. Hiring home care providers can help your senior follow through on the tips here.

Seniors who already have some degree of heart disease can prevent further damage to their hearts if they make some of these changes:

Stop Smoking

Seniors shouldn’t smoke for a variety of reasons. But one of the best reasons to quit right now is that stopping smoking can decrease your chances of developing several serious illnesses including heart disease. Even if your senior parent has been smoking for a decade or more there is still a benefit to quitting. When smokers quit their lungs will start to repair themselves from the damage caused by smoking in just weeks. Seniors who want to quit smoking can take advantage of medications and over-the-counter stop-smoking aids to make quitting easier.

Exercise Daily

Exercise is critically important when it comes to keeping the heart healthy. Seniors should be exercising for at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week. Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous to be healthy. Just going for a 30-minute walk each day can help protect seniors from developing heart disease. Seniors should look for local walking groups or start one in their neighborhood so that walking daily is more fun. Seniors are more likely to stick with exercise when they do it with friends.

Choose Healthier Foods Prepared by Home Care Aides

Diet is also an important factor in heart health. Choosing healthier foods and making healthier meals can protect seniors from heart disease and other illnesses. Seniors who have trouble cooking or trouble shopping should have home care to help them. With home care, seniors will be able to shop for healthy ingredients that they can turn into healthy meals. A home care provider can also share meals with seniors so that mealtimes are more fun.

Lose Weight

Seniors that are overweight should try to lose weight. Obesity is one of the most common causes of heart disease and it can make existing heart disease worse, as well as contribute to the development of other serious illnesses. Seniors may have a harder time losing weight since they can’t exercise as much or as intensely as other age groups. But seniors that change their diet, exercise as much as they can, and work with their doctors to lose weight can lower their risk of heart disease quite a bit. Medication may be able to help seniors lose weight too.

Manage Stress

Stress is something that everyone deals with, but large amounts of daily stress can cause heart disease and increase the risks of heart attacks and strokes. Seniors should try to lower their stress levels by doing activities that involve making things with their hands. Making things like painting, crocheting, or sewing can help seniors manage their stress effectively.

Sources: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease-prevention/art-20046502
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/any_age.htm
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/heart-health-and-aging

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Eastman GA please contact the caring staff at Angels of Mercy Private Homecare Services, Inc. today at 478-745-5111.

Angels of Mercy Private Homecare Services is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Macon, Warner Robins, Perry, Gray, Milledgeville, Forsyth, Cochran, Jeffersonville, Eastman, Fort Valley, and the surrounding areas.

Zandrea Durham
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