Improving Health and Wellbeing for Seniors With Six Simple Steps

Improving health and wellbeing for seniors is easier with these tips.

Though New Year’s Day is still months away, who says resolutions should only be made at the start of the year? There is no time like the present to start a new habit or goal, especially when it comes to improving health and wellbeing for seniors.

We have six strategies you can implement today. Pick one to begin, or jump right into all of them to attain the greatest benefit:

1. Make an appointment for a physical. Rather than waiting for an injury or illness to call the doctor, a yearly check-up is a great way for seniors to stay on top of their health and potentially prevent issues before they occur.
2. Get physical. With the physician’s approval and recommendations, kick off a new exercise routine – together! Working out with a senior you love allows you to motivate each other and serve as accountability partners. Commit to staying with it for a minimum of 21 days, after which it should be an ingrained, pleasurable habit you will wish to continue.
3. Stay connected. Help the senior maintain their connections with friends and family to ward off loneliness and isolation. Offer transportation if necessary for lunch dates, or with setting up technology to stay virtually in touch.
4. Keep vaccinations up to date. Along with a COVID vaccine, pneumonia, seasonal influenza, and shingles vaccines ought to be up to date. With age comes an elevated risk for severe effects from these illnesses, so vaccinations become even more essential.
5. Don’t forget mental health. A mental health provider can help determine if anxiety, depression, or any other concerns should be addressed, offering both therapeutic tools and medication if needed. Staying mentally sharp through brain enrichment activities will help with the natural cognitive decline that is experienced in aging.
6. Monitor what you eat. If the pantry and fridge are filled with empty-calorie or fatty foods, replace them with proteins, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, and low-fat dairy products. A drastic change in diet can be overwhelming and difficult to adhere to, so start simple with one replacement at first – carrot sticks instead of potato chips, for example – and work up to a more healthy overall diet.

Hired Hands Homecare is here to assist with improving health and wellbeing for seniors with personalized in-home care and companionship. From transportation and accompaniment to medical appointments and exercise classes, to grocery shopping and preparing healthy meals, all while giving socialization a much-needed boost, we are empowering seniors to live their best lives every day. Call us at (866) 940-4343 to learn more about how we can help a senior you love!