Elderly care and prevention for your aging parent

Elderly Care in Northwest DC

Everyone has heard the saying by Benjamin Franklin: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Truer words were never spoken when it comes to aging and your elderly parent. It’s much Elderly-Care-in-Northwest-DCeasier to treat a disease or fix an injury before it has occurred—that’s called prevention. While foretelling the future may not be in the cards, there are a few proven ways to encourage health and safety.

A Safe Environment
Falls are a leading cause of injury in older Americans. In fact, one in four Americans over the age of 64 will experience a fall this year. While you can’t be with them for every curb or unseen obstacle, you can help turn their home into a safe environment.

This involves a few simple tweaks such as removing throw rugs and any wires that may be crossing a path. Installing grab bars in a few key spots such as the shower and bathroom. Make sure lighting is sufficient and install motion sensors as needed. Obtain automatic stove sensors that turn off the appliance if no movement has been noted within a certain timeframe.

Health
Diabetes, heart disease, many cancers, stroke, and high blood pressure as well as high cholesterol are all diseases known to build their foundation in a body that lacks exercise and good nutrition. Obesity is a major principle player in creating a fertile ground in which these diseases can take root and form. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2009 – 2010 found that two out of three adults were considered to be overweight or obese, and one-third of children and adolescents ages 6 – 19 were considered overweight or obese.

The basic math goes like this: There are 3,500 calories in 1 pound of fat; therefore, you must burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. Walking burns about 100 calories for every mile. If you cut your typical caloric intake by 300 calories a day and walk 2 miles, you would lose approximately 1 pound of fat in a week.

Quality
While cutting down on calories and increasing exercise to create weight loss is a good start in the fight for prevention, the quality of food you consume is just as important. Fruits and vegetables are rich in life-giving enzymes. These enzymes help with digestion and the absorption of key nutrients, reduce inflammation, and create antioxidants, to name just a few of their remarkable talents.

Help
It’s easy to point out the many tools available to help prevent disease and injury. The truth is, life gets busy, and sometimes it’s less stressful, another cause of disease, to reach for a bagel than prepare a salad. If time seems to be slipping away from you and, as a family caregiver, you notice you’re making more decisions based on time-constraints than health and well-being, consider obtaining the services of an elderly care provider. These professionals can not only help with the daily activities of living, they can prepare healthy meals from the nutrient dense foods they pick up at the grocery store. They can take walks with your parent and give them transportation to the local senior community center for classes in balance-promoting exercises such as yoga or tai chi. Elderly care providers can help keep your parent safe when you can’t be there.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering elderly care in Washington DC, please contact the caring staff at Trusted Touch Healthcare today. We make seniors’ lives better! Call today (301) 272-5140.

Resources:
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/Pages/overweight-obesity-statistics.aspx

Sibo Ncube is an experienced health care provider who is passionate about providing dignified care for her clients, both institutional and private.