Once baby boomers, they are now our senior bloomers. Here are 10 essential lifestyle tips to help you be an advocate for their health and well-being.

As our parents age, their needs change as well. You may not notice it so much,  but your parents may be going through various changes in their bodies and their mental health. For one, they are not as strong and as resilient as they used to, so it’s important to be an advocate to your senior parents’ health and well-being.

These 10 essential lifestyle tips for seniors can help you promote healthful and helpful behaviors so that your elderly parents can continue to live their best lives well into their golden age.

Encourage them to keep these tips to heart and allow them the independence and dignity as they age. For help, know that there are facilities such as Blessed Home that will help you and them during this time.

10 Essential Lifestyle Tips for Seniors

These lifestyle tips for seniors are valuable guides to help you look out for areas for improvement as well as behaviors that you can cut down on or change, and habits to promote. This will allow your senior parents to be their best and keep themselves healthy at this wonderful phase in their lives.

1. Eat well. One of the basics of keeping yourself healthy at any age is to eat nutritious foods in the right amounts. During senior years, our eating habits have a way of catching up with us, so it’s always a good idea to keep eating healthy and pairing this with physical activities. If your elderly parents already have illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, or other conditions, it’s best to stick to the dietary restrictions prescribed by their doctors.
2. Keep active. This is always  a good idea at any age. Any physical activity for seniors that helps them keep their strength, flexibility, and balance is also good. This also helps prevents injuries and promotes, of course, cardiovascular health. We have provided some appropriate exercises for the elderly.
3. Quit smoking. Smoking kills by being one of the leading cause of many common diseases such as stroke, cancer, and heart failure.
4. Maintain a health weight. Extra weight increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Find out your elderly parent’s body mask index, work on getting that healthy weight, and stay there with the right diet and exercise.
5. Keep immunizations updated. Have your elderly parents undergo their annual physical exams and make sure to keep their immunizations are up to date.  Have them undergo other health screenings as well, such as mammography for women and prostate screening for men.
6. Prevent falls. Our elderly parents become more vulnerable to slips and falls at this time. You can help prevent such accidents by removing loose carpets or rugs. Furthermore, keep paths clear from electrical cords and other clutter. If they are living alone, you may also consider having their halls and bathrooms equipped with nightlights.
7.  Get regular checkups. Have them checked by dentists and check for their vision and hearing as well. Keeping teeth and gums healthy is a worthwhile and lifetime investment and is becoming more important as your parents age. The same can be said about vision and hearing as well. Finding them the right solution can really improve their quality of life.
8. Prevent skin cancer. Your senior parents’ skin may need more protection now. Wrinkles appear, the skin becomes drier, and cuts may take a longer time to heal. Be sure that they are away from the sun and if they are, that they are protected with sunscreen.
9. Manage mental health. Part of the lifestyle tips for seniors is ensuring that they are well mentally as well. At this age, their mental health needs change too. They may have different worries now that they are too embarrassed or even too proud to voice out. They may feel isolated or lonely with family visiting them less often. They may be anxious about being sick or losing some of their independence. Be sure to check in on them and have them engage with others in a social setting such as a community you can find in Blessed Home.
10. Keep them social. At this day and age, it’s easy to connect with friends and family from afar, so be sure to keep them connected as well. Allow them time to talk to their friends virtually. And better yet, make time for visits with family members, friends, or have them join groups and organizations based on what they like.

At Blessed Home, we provide a thriving and engaging environment for your elderly parents to lead a lifestyle where they can be happy in. Talk to us today to learn more!