Elder Care in Leslie MI
The thought of congestive heart failure can be frightening for you as a family caregiver. This condition sounds as though your parent’s heart has stopped or will stop very soon. While this condition can be very serious, even fatal, it does not necessarily mean such severe imminent danger. Instead, congestive heart failure is the heart weakening to the point at which it is no longer able to pump blood efficiently throughout the body. As with most other health conditions, there are certain factors that increase the risk that your elderly parent will develop congestive heart failure. Taking steps to reduce this risk helps to guard your loved one from potentially serious consequences that could put their health, well-being, and future at risk.
Some ways that you can reduce your parent’s risk of developing congestive heart disease include:
• Encourage physical activity. As with most health consequences and issues, physical activity is extremely important to protecting your loved one from congestive heart failure, as well as helping them to manage it properly. Regular physical activity helps your parent to manage many of the existing risk factors of CHF, including obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
• Encourage a reduced-salt diet. One of the most common recommendations given to those suffering from congestive heart failure is to reduce the amount of salt that they are eating, but this can also help to protect the heart from the weakening and damage that can lead to CHF. Sodium causes the body to retain fluid, which puts additional strain on the heart and can exacerbate issues of the condition, including edema, which is swelling of the hands, feet, and ankles.
• End bad habits. If your elderly parent smokes, chews tobacco, or uses electronic cigarettes, encourage them to stop. Tobacco use of any kind causes problems throughout the body that stress the heart, including increased risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, and other complications.
If your aging parent has recently received a diagnosis of congestive heart failure, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting elder care for them. This elderly home care services provider can be with your aging parent on a customized schedule that takes into consideration not just their needs, limitations, and challenges, but also the care efforts that you give them so that you can be confident that your aging loved one is getting everything that they need at all times, whether you are able to be with them or not. When it comes to helping them to reduce their risk of developing congestive heart failure, this care provider can be a fantastic supplement to the care and encouragement that you already give them. This personalized care is not just about your parent remembering when and how to take any medications that they are prescribed. Their support, companionship, and encouragement can also be valuable at helping your parent to make good choices regarding the foods they eat, their activity level, and other issues so that they can better manage their condition and keep their body as healthy as possible throughout their later years.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Leslie, MI, please contact the caring staff at Seniors Helping Seniors of Lansing. Call today: 517-332-9953.