6 New Year’s Resolutions to Boost Senior Health

Each year, people around the world make resolutions, but not everyone will stick with those commitments. Family carers should encourage their senior loved ones to choose resolutions that are healthy and attainable. Here are some healthy New Year’s resolutions seniors should add to their list.

1. Challenge the Brain More

Engaging in mentally challenging activities can stave off memory issues and keep the brain sharp. To see the resolution through, your parent should find interesting games and activities that stimulate the brain and encourage the use of thinking skills. Options include playing online games, having conversations with friends and family, volunteering, and signing up for a creative class in the area.

2. Exercise Regularly

Staying physically active should be at the top of your loved one’s New Year’s resolution list. Exercise can boost heart, brain, and bone health while lowering the risk of chronic stress. You can motivate your loved one to work out more by going to the gym together, signing him or her up for dance courses, or scheduling workout time at home. 

If your loved one needs assistance with exercise because of mobility issues or other health conditions, consider enlisting the help of a professional carer. Sydney East home care experts are available to provide high-quality care to seniors on an as-needed basis. From assistance with mobility and exercise to providing transportation to the doctor’s office and social events, there are a variety of ways professional carers can help your ageing loved one continue to live independently.

3. Eat Fewer Desserts

The foods seniors eat can have a negative or positive impact on the way their bodies function. For example, cookies, cakes, and candy can cause insulin resistance and increase the risk of developing diabetes. Eating fewer desserts or giving up sweet treats altogether can lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, preventing diabetes, obesity, and other health conditions.

4. Give Up Red Meat

Quitting red meat may be a difficult New Year’s resolution for some seniors, but it can be beneficial to their cardiovascular health. To make the goal more attainable, encourage your loved one to give up certain red meats first, and build up the list over time. The first red meats to go should be sausage, hot dogs, rib eye steak, and lamb. Instead of eating red meat, seniors can choose from poultry, seafood, and various lean meats.

5. Visit the Doctor More Often

Ageing adults need to be more proactive when it pertains to doctor visits. A fall may not seem serious, but there could be issues that only a doctor can detect via testing. Therefore, seniors should make their health a top resolution this year, especially when it comes to doctor visits. When doctors detect conditions early on, they can prescribe medications, perform surgeries, or design treatment plans that prevent issues from getting worse. Your loved one should try to visit the doctor at least twice a year for checkups and anytime he or she feels ill. 

Seniors with severe or chronic health conditions may need to travel frequently to see their doctor, and some may benefit greatly from the help of a live-in carer. Whether you need respite from your caring duties or your ageing loved one needs live-in care, Sydney East, NSW, Home Care Assistance can meet your family’s care needs. Our dedicated care workers are available around the clock to provide transportation to doctor’s appointments, ensure seniors take their prescribed medications, and help with a variety of tasks in and outside the home.

6. Stay Socially Active

Increasing socialisation is a fun resolution because it encourages your loved one to get out of the house and interact with other people in the community. When creating the resolution, ask your loved one to detail some of the social activities he or she would like to do throughout the year. Staying socially active enhances brain function and mood, lowers the risk of depression, boosts the immune system, and leads to a better quality of life.

If your loved one finds it challenging to stick to these healthy New Year’s resolutions, a trained care worker can make it easier. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of senior care. Sydney families can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide individualised care plans to meet your elderly loved one’s unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia. To learn more about our reliable, compassionate in-home care services, contact us at [hca_phone] today.