Bone health is something your senior will miss greatly when it’s gone completely. Developing osteoporosis can be scary for many aging adults, but there are some things you can do to help her to protect her bones. Some of these ideas may be far more appealing to her than others are.
Follow-up Appointments Are Crucial
Your senior’s doctor needs to monitor her bone health regularly. There may be additional bone density tests as well as blood tests and even x-rays of, particularly weak bones. If she’s taking medications to help improve her bone density, your senior may develop side effects from those. For all of these reasons, it’s vital that your elderly family member continues to see her doctor regularly.
Vices Can Be Problems
Some of the vices your senior enjoys the most, like that occasional cigarette or a drink every night after dinner, can be dangerous to her bone health. These choices can even interact badly with medications she might be taking to improve her bone health, which is the opposite of what she really wants right now. Her doctor can help you to put together a plan to help her to quit or to at least cut back on some of these activities.
Nutrition Matters a Lot
What your senior eats matters on so many levels, but it’s especially important now that she’s fighting for her bone health. She needs to be eating plenty of fruits and vegetables as well as proteins. Calcium and vitamin D are also important because they support bone health. There may be other supplements that her doctor determines are necessary, too. If eating healthy has always been a problem, this might need to be the big focus for now.
Exercise Really Does Help
One of the suggested treatments that can be surprising to people is to start doing weight-bearing exercise. When your senior starts to do these types of exercises, like walking more, that helps to strengthen her bones. Much like muscles, bones get stronger when they’re used. So exercises that support your senior’s weight allow her bones to get a workout.
Safety is a huge consideration for your elderly family member right now. Home care providers can help you to make sure that her home is as safe as possible. They can also take over some of the household tasks that might make her a little more nervous now so that she can focus on staying as healthy as possible.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care Services in Tuskegee, 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