Senior Snippets – 5 Tips to Keep Your Elderly Parents Well at Home
by Rachel Kershaw
Welcome to Senior Snippets: the monthly advisory column with older members of our community in mind, brought to you by Rachel Kershaw of Home Instead in Burnley
We’ve all heard the saying ‘Prevention is better than cure’. As experts in elderly care, we understand the importance of keeping loved ones safe and well in their own homes.
We are often called in when a family is at crisis point due to a family member’s deteriorating health. Sometimes, a health issue is unavoidable, but in many cases, prevention and/or early intervention can avoid a difficult situation.
It’s important not to view any deterioration in someone’s general health as simply ‘getting old’. Inactivity, missed GP appointments, signs of depression, problems with meal preparation, a poor appetite or weight loss, as well as slips, trips, and falls are all warning signs that require attention.
• Doctors orders
It’s important to go to the doctor regularly and keep up with other check-ups, such as hearing and eyesight. We advise maintaining a calendar so they don’t miss regular and annual appointments. Planning ahead to ensure they are able to get to the appointments is also advisable.
Taking the right medication at the right time can be confusing – particularly if your family member is living with dementia. It’s important to have a system that ensures they are keeping up to date with medication.
• Keep physically and mentally active
Encourage activity! With warmer weather now upon us, encourage simple exercise such as short walks. An activity such as gardening, which is great for both body and soul, can help to maintain muscle and flexibility as well as releasing stress.
• Maintain a healthy diet
Encourage a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables – the latest advice is to ‘eat the colours of the rainbow’ which is a fun way of keeping on track. Choose wholegrain options when it comes to bread, include oily fish in your diet each week and cut down on sugary snacks.
• Keep hydrated
This is possibly one of the easiest ways to maintain wellbeing. Did you know that water makes up 60-75% of our body weight? It’s really important to keep hydrated as it is involved in many important functions including regulating body temperature and helping our brains to function as well as helping to prevent constipation. Experts recommend around 1.2 litres which is 6-8 glasses.
• Companionship
Research shows that loneliness and social isolation are harmful to our health. We all know how good it is to talk and spend time with like-minded individuals. Encourage your loved one to take part in local activities such as craft clubs, having a cuppa with a neighbour or joining one of the many community-run social groups.
Knowing what to look out for can really help to avoid health issues. Our team is on hand to offer help and advice, including signposting to local organisations and groups.
We’d love to hear from you if you would like to make a suggestion for a future topic.
Please write to me at:
enquiries.burnley@homeinstead.co.uk
Or by post to Home Instead:
Home Instead Burnley, Northbridge House, Elm Street, Burnley, BB10 1PD
Or call me on: 01282 911300
