Is There Anything Your Senior Can Do to Control Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure can be a precursor for other serious health issues, like heart disease. By doing what your senior can as soon as she’s diagnosed with high blood pressure, she’s reducing her risk of experiencing some of those other health concerns. Making even small changes in some key areas of her life can help your elderly family member to get results.
Take Prescribed Medications Properly
Home Care Assistance Arlington, VA: Seniors and Blood Pressure
If your senior’s doctor has prescribed medication for her to control her blood pressure, it’s important that she takes it correctly. Depending on the type of medication that she’s taking, when she takes it can be very important. Consistency can almost be more important than the dosage. Home care assistance providers can remind your senior to take her medication when she should for best results.
Manage Stress Appropriately
Stress takes a huge toll on anyone’s health. It’s especially damaging for your senior to have out of control stress if she’s also dealing with high blood pressure levels. Oddly enough, worrying about her blood pressure can be a huge source of stress. It’s important for her to find ways to manage her stress properly, because some coping mechanisms, like smoking or alcohol, can just make the problem worse.
Adjust Her Diet
Your senior’s doctor may recommend a specific diet for her. Often those dietary changes include directives like limiting sodium intake and reducing reliance on processed and pre-packaged foods. It can help a lot if your senior has elder care assistance so that she’s able to eat healthy meals at regular intervals. Not having to worry about cooking can also reduce stress for your senior.
Consider Exercise or at Least Moving More
If your senior’s doctor agrees that it’s okay for your elderly family member to start exercising, then moving more is absolutely a good plan. Regular exercise can help your senior to manage her stress, it can help her to improve her overall heart health, and it can help her to improve her sleep. Encourage your senior to open her mind about what she considers exercise. If she finds physical activity that she enjoys or that she finds meaning it, it will be easier for her to stick with it.
There’s no one perfect plan for controlling high blood pressure, of course, but if your senior has a solid support system from you and from home care assistance, she’ll be prepared for anything that her health throws her way.