Home Care: Are you wondering whether your elderly loved one’s heart is holding up?

Unfortunately, there are many heart health issues that elderly people commonly face. Knowing about these common heart conditions and issues can help to prepare for or prevent them in your elderly loved one. Home care provider services can be a great help with this.

Heart Wall Issues

Did you know there are many senior citizens that experience thickening of the heart walls? When this happens, the blood flow in their body and heart is obstructed. The obstruction can lead to many issues such as a heart attack, stroke, and more. If you want to help your elderly loved one prevent this issue, you should encourage them to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and quit smoking (if they do smoke right now).

Blood Vessel Flexibility Issues

Many senior citizens experience blood vessel flexibility issues, too. When this happens, it is tough for the blood to move throughout the patient’s body properly. Again, this can lead to heart attacks, stroke, and other heart-related issues. Some of them may be mild and others can be severe. If you and home care providers are going to help your elderly loved one prevent this issue, make sure they are sticking to a healthy diet. They should be eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. Your elderly loved one should be doing aerobic exercises a few days every week to help keep their blood vessels more flexible, as well.

Muscle Strength Issues

Another one of the common heart health issues for elderly people is in relation to muscle strength. As a person’s heart becomes weak due to muscle loss, it is harder for them to breathe. Their heart has to work harder to function at even the most basic level at times. If you feel that your elderly loved one is experiencing muscle strength issues, make sure you have them see their doctor. They can be referred to a cardiologist. If you want to help your elderly loved one prevent this issue, make sure they are eating heart-healthy foods, exercising regularly, and getting quality sleep.

Conclusion

These are some of the most common heart health issues for elderly people. As a family caregiver for your elderly loved one, whether that be a parent or another family member, do your best to help them keep their heart-healthy. The more they stick to a proper exercise plan and healthy diet, the better condition their heart will likely be in. If you suspect your elderly loved one already has one of the issues named above, be sure you or a home care provider take them to their doctor. If there is something going on with their heart, your elderly loved one may need to regularly see a cardiologist for treatment.

For more information about hiring Home Care in San Diego, CA, call the friendly caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare who can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, at 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Sources
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cardiomyopathy/prevention-and-treatment-of-cardiomyopathy
https://www.consumerreports.org/heart-disease/prevent-hardening-of-arteries/