A senior’s sense of balance generally worsens over time. Medications, unhealthy lifestyle 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. He or she 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 and various forms of arthritis.
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 elder care, you can turn to Align Home Care. 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 is a technique that could increase your loved one’s flexibility and boost his or her confidence. Many seniors fall because of fear and doubt. With more confidence, they may challenge themselves more, increasing their balance. Yoga requires seniors to hold specific poses, which can strengthen the muscles and lead to better flexibility.
A professional caregiver can encourage your loved one to try yoga so he or she can stay active and independent for longer. In Portland, senior home care agencies can be a great boon to seniors. With the help of the caregivers at Align Home Care, 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 coordination and balance. Unhealthy meal choices can cause inflammation, weight gain, 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 parent 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 is a form of exercise that can build lower body strength, which is an important factor pertaining to balance. Family caregivers need to remember the amount of time seniors spend walking is what truly matters, not the number of miles walked. Encourage your loved one to walk three or four days a week for at least 30 minutes each day to increase balance and prevent falls.
Assist with Personal Hygiene
Anything that affects a senior’s inner ear or brain—such as head traumas, certain medications, and infections—can lead to balance issues. 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 while in public areas.
Caring for a loved one with balance issues can be overwhelming for family members. Seniors living with serious health conditions often need extensive assistance in and outside the home. Align Home Care is a trusted provider of Portland 24-hour care. Our caregivers are expertly trained to assist seniors with bathing, grooming, light housekeeping, and various other daily tasks, and we also offer specialized Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care. If your loved one needs high-quality in-home care, call us at (207) 835-3490 today.