How to Help Your Elderly Loved One Maintain a Healthy Weight

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Senior Care in Westfield NJ

Your loved one’s weight can become a big concern for her as she ages. She may worry that it can contribute to health problems or that it makes her feel unhealthy, so both of which can be goodSenior-Care-in-Westfield-NJ reasons to help her keep it under control.

Look at Her Current Eating Habits

If your elderly loved one isn’t eating as healthily as she could be, this could be part of the problem with maintaining a healthy weight. One way that you can get a full picture of your loved one’s eating habits is to help her to keep a food diary for a little while. Gradually you can start making changes to the habits that you’re able to narrow down from the food diary. You might also want to consult with a dietician or a nutritionist to work out the best eating plan for your loved one.

Consider an Exercise Plan

Getting the right amount of exercise can help your loved one to maintain her weight, build her strength, and even improve her moods. You’ll definitely want to talk to her doctor to make sure that your loved one is healthy enough for exercise before you start any sort of plan. Find exercise that your loved one enjoys so that she’ll be more motivated to stick with it and start out slowly.

Help Her Get Plenty of Sleep

If your loved one isn’t getting enough sleep, her weight can suffer for it. There are quite a few different hormones that become out of balance when your loved one doesn’t get enough sleep and many of those affect weight management. Significant sleep problems may need the help of your loved one’s doctor to get her back on track.

Work Closely with Her Doctor

You’ll definitely want to work closely with your loved one’s doctor, particularly if your loved one has quite a few pounds that she wants to lose. He can help you to develop a plan that isn’t too severe and that helps your loved one to meet her weight goals easily.

Your loved one’s senior care providers can help her to stay on target with her plan to maintain a healthy weight. Be sure to let them know about all the stages of your loved one’s plan.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional senior care in Westfield, NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.

Susan Myer, RN, BSN, CCRN, CDP