Osteoporosis is a scary diagnosis for your senior to receive, but it’s definitely manageable. Weakened bones can often be strengthened, even if only a little, and once your senior is aware of her osteoporosis she can start to make different decisions.

 

Get Regular Bone Density Tests

Bone density tests are a key way that your elderly family member’s doctor is able to see definitively what is going on with her bones. These types of tests can and should be performed more than once. They help to establish a baseline which you can later use to see how well the treatment methods you’re trying are working for your elderly family member.

 

Take Medications or Supplements as Prescribed

If your elderly family member’s doctor does prescribe medications or supplements, it’s important for your senior to take them as prescribed. These recommendations, such as taking calcium or vitamin D, can help to strengthen her bones and slow down bone loss. This is particularly important if your senior’s osteoporosis is more advanced than you realized at first.

 

Exercise as Much as Recommended

One of the recommendations that your senior’s doctor may make is to get some exercise. Weight-bearing exercises help to strengthen bones and protect your elderly family member from potential future fractures. Weight lifting is a great activity to take up, but your senior will have to start slowly and work her way up. Make sure that you talk with your senior’s doctor about the amount and type of exercise that she needs to be doing.

 

Seek out Balance Exercises

Balance exercises can be particularly rewarding for your aging adult. The reason behind this is that your elderly family member is at a greater risk of breaking a bone if she should fall. Improving her balance as much as possible can help her to avoid taking a fall at all. Yoga and tai chi are both excellent for improving balance, but your elderly family member might also enjoy water aerobics or some other activity.

 

Get Some Extra Help to Manage Some Tasks

Some of the daily tasks that your senior handles now, such as cooking and cleaning, might be a little more difficult for her to handle after learning she has osteoporosis. As she adjusts to a new medication and to new exercise routines, it might be helpful to hire elderly care providers to manage some of those tasks for her.

The more that you and you’re senior know about osteoporosis the better you can care for her. Take the time to do some research and keep up with the latest findings around osteoporosis.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Home Care Services in Phenix City, AL, please contact the caring staff at Prime Home Health today. Caring for Our Friends and Neighbors in Tallapoosa, Chambers, Lee, Macon and Russell Counties! Call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! 334.745.7966