National Wellness Month every August is an opportunity for you and your senior to assess what’s working well for her as she tries to be as healthy as possible. If there are changes that would improve her overall wellness, now is the perfect time to make those shifts. Contrary to what most people think, those changes don’t have to be big ones in order to offer the results your senior wants.
Schedule Overdue Checkups or Appointments
It’s so easy to forget those little checkups or follow-up appointments, but for best results your senior really needs to get caught up. Take some time to figure out what she should schedule now with her healthcare providers to ensure that she’s not missing anything. This might mean eye appointments, dental appointments, or even an annual physical.
Bump up Plant-based Food Intake
Is your aging family member eating enough fruits and vegetables every day? Most people really aren’t getting enough plant-based foods, it turns out. Finding some easy ways to bump up her intake of plant-based foods is going to help your senior to become healthier overall. Elder Home Care providers can help with tasks like chopping and preparing produce to make it easier to eat, especially if that is a difficult set of tasks for your senior.
Incorporate More Movement into Every Day
As long as your senior’s doctor agrees that movement is right for her, it might be time to work out how to incorporate more movement into her day. Adding gentle stretching in the morning and evening is a great idea. And if your elderly family member hasn’t exercised in a while, start out slow with more serious workouts during the day.
Find Ways to Reduce Stress
Reducing stress is a key to wellness, even for your elderly family member. In fact, she may be under a lot more stress than even she realizes. Some of the strategies that might help for your elderly family member could include meditating and prioritizing sleep. It might even help her to have some extra help from Elder Home Care providers during the day.
Make Sure She’s Hydrating
Proper hydration is a cornerstone of wellness. Especially during the summer months, your elderly family member needs to make sure she’s getting plenty of water during the day. Her body and brain need to be properly hydrated to keep functioning well. Talk with your senior’s doctor about exactly how much water is best for her to drink every day.
Consider Journaling
So many issues are easier to manage when you understand what’s behind them. Journaling can help your seniors to do just that. If she’s not interested in keeping track of any heavy emotions in her journal, practicing gratitude journaling can also be incredibly helpful. All she needs is a notebook and a few minutes to write each day. People who journal regularly experience less stress and may find their improvements, too.
Wellness encompasses every aspect of your senior’s life. Even making small changes on a consistent basis can help her to make great strides toward a healthier life.
