Healthy Aging
Senior care and Healthy Aging in Calgary, AB
Healthy Aging | The natural aging process can cause hormone levels to fall, eyesight to falter, hearing to be lost and muscle strength to decline. These physical and emotional changes are a part of life, but there are steps that you can take to ensure that your loved one is aging in the healthiest way possible.
Building optimal health with senior care requires a positive mental and emotional state.
A senior who is feeling isolated or distressed will be in much worse shape than the senior who sufferers from physical decline.
Understanding the Three Sides of Healthy Aging and Senior Care
There are three sides to aging: physical, emotional and mental. Healthy aging means that all these sides are intertwined, so it is essential that anyone who strives to age gracefully understands that aging involves:
Physical Changes
The physical changes of aging are complex. Skin may begin to wrinkle while becoming drier and thinner. Teeth may begin to fall out, muscle mass may be lost, and walking may become difficult. Hearing and vision problems may also set in.
An exercise routine, that your doctor is informed of and consents to prior to starting, can help by:
- Increasing bone density
- Retaining muscle mass
- Improving balance
- Maintaining coordination
Daily exercise is important in senior care and can be as simple as walking around your neighborhood or even downtown Calgary. Staying active is important, so find something that’s fun and exciting that you can engage in today.
If you follow an exercise plan and eat healthy, you’ll be on your way to optimal physical health for your age.
Mental Health
Mental health is very important to healthy aging, and this includes:
- Memory
- Alertness
One key method of maintaining your mental health is to continue to challenge your mind daily. You can engage in new games or activities, or you can start learning a new language. Creativity is key when trying to keep your mind sharp.
Emotional Health
The emotional health of a person starts to decline with the loss of physical and mental abilities. Depression and isolation can also start to set in as family members die or become sick. Money issues and retirement are also major concerns and forms of stress.
Increased socialization and less isolation are often key to a person’s emotional state.
Those in senior care who remain active, despite any physical limitations that they have, will feel a sense of purpose and community that aids emotional health. A senior should be involved in the community and continue making friends to ensure that their emotional health is always in a good state.
When a senior’s physical, mental and emotional states are in good balance, they can maintain a happy, healthy lifestyle.
Comfort Keepers® Calgary Can Help
At Comfort Keepers®, we create individual care plans for every client. These plans include wellness goals that consider physical, mental and emotional health. Our caregivers can help support physician-prescribed diet and exercise plans, provide medication reminders, provide transportation to appointments and help seniors engage in the activities they love the most. And, our caregivers can help senior stay connected with loved ones through video chats, phone calls and care updates. We believe that every senior should experience the best in life.
