Tips for Preventing Heart Disease in the Elderly

Heart disease is a common cause of death amongst the elderly. When it comes to elder care, there are many tips for preventing heart disease in the elderly. Whether you are getting older or you are a caregiver for someone who is, these tips can be helpful in many ways.

No Smoking or Tobacco Use

Elder Care Havertown, PA: Preventing Heart Disease

Smoking and tobacco use are risk factors for heart disease developments. There are many dangerous chemicals in tobacco that lead to plaque buildup. In addition, the carbon monoxide in the cigarettes replaces the oxygen in the blood. This raises heart rate and blood pressure causing the heart to work harder. For the prevention of heart disease, not smoking at all is the safest. If someone is already smoking, the instant they stop, the better it will be for them and their heart.

Exercising for Half-an-Hour Most Days Throughout the Week
Regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease, as well. When exercise is mixed with other healthy lifestyle changes, the results are even better. Exercising for half-an-hour most days of the week can help with weight control which also reduces the chance of having a condition that strains the heart.

Heart-Healthy Diet
Including a heart-healthy diet in one’s lifestyle is another great way to prevent heart disease in the elderly. For elder care, plans such as the Mediterranean Diet and DASH eating can help to prevent heart disease. Diets that are rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits help with heart protection, as well.

Quality Sleep
Sleep deprivation causes the heart to work too much throughout the day. This can be extremely harmful. It is very important to get good, quality sleep every night of the week. This can reduce the risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, obesity, depression, and diabetes. The majority of adults should be getting between 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.

Getting Regular Health Check-Ups
By getting regular health check-ups, the elderly can have the doctor keep an eye on their health. They can get their blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol levels, and more looked at. If there are any issues, the doctor will make sure to figure out the proper treatment plan. If you are caring for your aging parent, you should make sure they see their doctor regularly. If they are prescribed any medications, make sure they are taking those as prescribed, too.

Preventing heart disease in the elderly is very important. These are just some of the best ways the elderly can prevent heart disease. While heart disease does run in the family for many people, that just makes these tips even more important to follow through on. If you make sure your aging parent is making these lifestyle changes, their chances of getting heart disease will reduce quite substantially.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elder Care in Havertown, PA please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.

Sources
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease-prevention/art-20046502
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/heart-health-and-aging

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Perry C. Doc Alleva, Owner & Administrator

Owner & Administrator at True Direct Home Health Care

True Direct HHC owner and administrator, Perry C. Doc Alleva has been in the health care community for over 10 years as a therapy solutions provider, as well as a home care services coordinator. He has extensive experience in caring for the disabled and the surgical acute, sub-acute, and rehab population. Rooted in his home-town city of Philadelphia, with strong ties to it's vast neighborhoods and communities, he's now focusing all his energies towards innovating the home health care agency's role in providing the essential care needed from individual to the family throughout the community.

Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.

"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."

In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.

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