A senior’s sense of balance generally worsens over time. Medications, unhealthy eating and exercising habits, and inflammation can lead to poor balance. If your senior loved one’s flexibility and balance decrease, he or she could fall and break one or more bones. Here are some of the things family caregivers can do to help their loved ones increase their balance.
Encourage Dancing
Seniors need to exercise on a regular basis to build their muscle strength and increase their bone density. Your loved one may prefer to do fun physical activities such as dancing. Seniors can take a local dance class, go dancing with family and friends, or dance alone at home. Regardless of where your loved one decides to dance, the activity could increase his or her bone density and lead to better balance. Dancing is a good way for seniors to strengthen their muscles and prevent joint pain.
If your senior loved one needs encouragement to adopt healthy habits, such as exercising more often, consider hiring a professional caregiver. Although it may be challenging to find reliable, highly rated senior home care, you can turn to Home Care Assistance. Our respite and live-in caregivers are expertly trained to assist seniors with a wide array of important tasks, including cooking, bathing, light housekeeping, and exercise.
Suggest Yoga
Yoga can increase flexibility and boost confidence. Many seniors fall because of fear and doubt. When their confidence is enhanced, they may challenge themselves more, increasing their balance. Doing yoga requires holding specific poses, which can strengthen the muscles and lead to greater flexibility.
A professional caregiver can help your loved one try yoga so he or she can stay active and independent for longer. In Rocklin, home care service 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.
Serve Healthy Foods
The foods seniors eat can affect their motor coordination and balance. Unhealthy meal choices can cause inflammation, high cholesterol, and other issues that impact balance. It’s important for seniors to eat foods that boost their energy levels, making it easier for them to move around. The foods your loved one eats could also help him or her lose weight, reducing the amount of pressure placed on the bones. Your loved one’s diet should consist of lean meats, vegetables, fruits, and a variety of gluten-free products.
Encourage Walking
Walking can build lower body strength, which is an important factor pertaining to balance. The number of minutes spent walking is what truly matters, not the number of miles walked. Therefore, you need to encourage your loved one to walk three or four days a week for at least 30 minutes each day to increase his or her balance and prevent falls.
Assist with Personal Hygiene
Anything that affects a senior’s inner ear or brain can lead to balance issues, including head traumas, certain medications, and infections. If your loved one develops an upper respiratory infection or the flu, he or she could experience balance difficulties. However, maintaining good hygiene is one of the ways seniors can protect themselves from bacterial infections. Your loved one should stay bundled up when going outdoors during the colder months and wash his or her hands on a regular basis, especially after being in public areas.
Caring for a loved one with balance issues can be challenging for family members. Some seniors need occasional assistance at home, and oftentimes the family members who take care of them need time away to run errands, take a nap, go to work, or take a vacation. Rocklin respite care experts from Home Care Assistance are available on an as-needed basis, giving your family peace of mind that your loved one will remain safe and comfortable while you relax or focus on other important responsibilities. To talk to one of our friendly Care Managers and create a customized senior care plan, call us at (916) 226-3737.