Certain aspects of life can increase a senior’s cholesterol levels, such as gender, weight, and age. While you can influence what your aging loved one eats and how active he or she remains in the senior years, there’s no way to stop the aging process. Therefore, you need to find natural ways to lower your loved one’s cholesterol and reduce his or her risk of physical, emotional, and mental disorders.
Aging
As seniors grow older, their cholesterol levels increase naturally, putting them at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other serious health problems. The rise occurs because when seniors age, their bodies produce more cholesterol. The higher your parent’s cholesterol levels are, the more frequently he or she should have them checked. Men typically have a higher risk of cholesterol problems. However, once females go through menopause, their odds increase as well.
Inactivity
Living a sedentary lifestyle is one of the reasons aging adults experience increased cholesterol levels. The less physically active seniors are, the more likely they are to experience weight gain and mental health problems. However, staying physically active can boost your loved one’s metabolism and enhance his or her mood, which could motivate him or her to do exercises and take up hobbies that lower cholesterol.
If you usually help your loved one exercise but you need a break now and then, consider having a professional caregiver take over for you. Waterloo respite care professionals can assist seniors with a wide array of daily tasks, offering family caregivers the chance to focus on other personal responsibilities or take a break to prevent burnout. Whether it’s for a few hours a day or a few days a week, respite care is the perfect solution for family caregivers who are feeling overwhelmed.
Unhealthy Eating Habits
Consuming foods high in saturated fats and low in protein and soluble fiber is bad for cholesterol. Seniors often turn to these foods because they’re accessible, affordable, and require less preparation. When your loved one fails to eat plenty of whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fatty fish, fruits, vegetables, and skinless poultry, his or her LDL (bad cholesterol) totals increase. To reduce LDL and raise HDL (good cholesterol) levels, your loved one should follow a heart-healthy diet recommended by his or her family physician.
A professional caregiver with training in nutrition can be an outstanding source of support for your loved one. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of homecare. You can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide individualized care plans to meet your elderly loved one’s unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia.
Regular Cholesterol Checks
High cholesterol can run in the family, especially if your loved one’s parents or siblings had cholesterol issues. The more your parent knows about his or her family history, the better. You should also speak with a doctor to determine healthy cholesterol levels based on your parent’s age and current health so you can help him or her maintain those acceptable measurements. The key is to develop an excellent care plan that encourages independence, promotes healthy eating, and keeps your parent active.
Medication
Doctors tell seniors living with high cholesterol to stop smoking cigarettes or using other tobacco products. Physicians can also give older adults lists of healthy foods and exercises that can lower their cholesterol. However, the natural approach doesn’t always work, and doctors may have to prescribe medications to manage LDL and HDL levels. The medicines can have a significant impact on your parent’s health and boost his or her quality of life.
In Waterloo, in-home care agencies can be a great boon to seniors. With the help of the caregivers at Home Care Assistance, your aging loved one can lead a happier and healthier life. We offer a revolutionary program called the Balanced Care Method, which encourages seniors to eat nutritious foods, exercise and socialize regularly, and focus on other lifestyle factors that increase life expectancy. If you need professional home care for your loved one, our Care Managers are just a phone call away. Reach out to Home Care Assistance today at (519) 954-2111.