Aging and Personal Care Expectations in Philadelphia & Southeastern PA

Posted Jun 19, 2017 by PHC | Blog

As your loved ones start aging there will be experiencing certain physiological and other changes that will affect the quality of their life. To better prepare them for these changes that come with age, it’s important to understand how you can help and what options for home care there are.

You know that aging will likely cause a lot of changes to the physical appearance of your loved ones, but there are changes to their emotional and psychological state that will occur as well. Let’s look at all of them in detail to know how you can promote their good health and well being.

As your loved ones age, their heart rate becomes slightly slower, and their heart might become bigger. Blood vessels and arteries also become stiffer, causing the heart to work harder to pump blood through them. This can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension) and other cardiovascular problems. To promote heart health you should encourage seniors to include physical activity in their daily routine, give up habits like smoking and eat a healthy diet.

With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density — which weakens them and makes them more susceptible to fracture. Some elderly people might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength and flexibility, and they might become less coordinated or have trouble balancing. To promote bone, joint and muscle health seniors should get adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Physical activity is also important.

Another issue more common in older adults is constipation. Many factors can contribute to constipation, including a low-fiber diet, not drinking enough fluids and lack of exercise. Medications — such as diuretics and iron supplements — and certain medical conditions — such as diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome — also might contribute to constipation. To prevent constipation you need to make sure they need a healthy diet that includes high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Elderly people should avoid meats that are high in fat, dairy products and sweets, which might cause constipation. They should drink plenty of water and other fluids.

Loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence) is common with aging. Some medical conditions, such as diabetes, might contribute to incontinence — as can menopause, for women, and an enlarged prostate, for men. To promote bladder and urinary tract health seniors need to go to the toilet regularly and try to maintain a healthy weight.

Memory naturally becomes less efficient with age. It might take longer to learn new things or remember familiar words or names. Having a personal home care assistant can make a huge difference for seniors who can’t keep up with their daily routine. They can take them to their medical appointments and give them their medication. Social interactions are also important to ward off depression and stress.
It’s never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle and one can have a positive effect on seniors. You can’t stop the aging process, but you might be able to minimize its impact on the life quality of your loved ones by making the right choices.

Visit us for more more information on elderly care in Philadelphia PA.