Home Health Dallas enables seniors to live happy, healthy, and independent lives in their own homes.
As heart disease plagues the United States in unfortunate numbers, it would seem there are no solutions when heart problems arise. For older generations, the last thing they want to worry about is poor heart and circulatory health. Seniors can avoid heart issues by following these daily guidelines.
• Lower Those Cholesterols Levels—People with coronary artery disease can monitor their cholesterol to ensure they don’t become another statistic or victim of heart disease.
• Practice Good Nutrition—Seniors worried about heart disease can eliminate some of that worry by merely changing their diets to follow healthier guidelines.
• Exercise—By taking that afternoon walk, seniors can decrease their chances of heart and circulatory problems a great deal. Exercise not only makes you feel good by getting out of the house, but also does a number on your heart.
• Read Up On Heart Health—So many publications nowadays offer great information when it comes to practicing good heart health. Seniors can turn to any of these publications such as the Harvard Heart Letter. This report helps seniors understand heart and circulatory health and the effects heart problems can have on emotional health. Such reports also provide detailed tips as to what you can do to lower your risk.
If you are a caregiver, or know anyone with a heart condition, you could benefit from watching the following clip, which features a modified form of CPR called CCR that is easier to learn, easier to do and can save even more lives!
Home Health Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
No matter what the age or the physical condition, seniors can benefit from an exercise program. Not every senior can do the same exercise, but there are many to choose from. Exercise can greatly lower the risks associated with heart disease and can have a positive effect on over-all health. The list below contains some tips and facts pertaining to daily exercise for seniors.
Before making changes to a diet or adding exercise, Home Health Dallas wants to remind all seniors that they should always talk to their doctors first. Be sure to ask about medications, the ability to lift heavy objects and what exercises are safe for you.
1. Exercise can help circulation and strengthen the heart and cardiovascular system. It also lowers blood pressure, improves muscle tone and strength, boosts self-esteem and improves sleep.
2. Stretching exercises lengthen the muscles, preparing them for activity. It will reduce the chance of injury and muscle strain.
3. Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart and lungs and will greatly improve the use of oxygen in the body.
4. Try to implement a walking program to start. Then you can move to jogging, biking or water aerobics.
5. An exercise session should last between 20 and 30 minutes to provide the best benefits for the body and over-all health. Exercise every day or every other day for the best results.
Home Health Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
Heart disease refers to any condition that affects the normal functioning of the heart.
Since heart disease touches the lives of many seniors and their families, at Home Instead Senior Care we believe it’s important to spread awareness about the signs and symptoms of heart disease, so that serious complications or death are prevented with diagnosis and treatment. A woman in our network explains how her mother’s symptoms lead to the discovery of heart disease.
One day I received a terrifying phone call; before I even had the opportunity to say “hello”, the voice on the other line said “I think I might be having a hard attack.” The caller was my mother, who at the time was 72 years old with no previous history of heart trouble, as far as we were aware. While my first instinct was to rush to her side, living with states between us made that impossible, so instead I tried to get a grasp on what she was experiencing. Based on her disposition, I suspected she wasn’t actually suffering from a heart attack, but I knew it was important to be supportive and make a point to understand. Not surprisingly, the first symptom she mentioned was a severe ache in her chest, but she also complained of dizziness. I encouraged my mom to hang up with me and contact the office of her physician to determine the best way to proceed in order to deal with her symptoms. The doctor said that if she felt the symptoms were severe, she should go immediately to the emergency room at the local hospital; otherwise she could come in for an appointment at his office later that afternoon so he could assess what she was experiencing.
My mom felt that her symptoms were not severe enough to go to the hospital, but opted to take the doctor’s appointment with my encouragement. Speaking to her after she returned home to the doctor, I learned that heart disease was the suspected diagnosis. Her physician said that she did the right thing, even though she was only exhibiting some of the symptoms of heart disease; dizziness and chest pain, and not nausea, shortness of breathe, an elevated heart rate, loss of consciousness, or palpitations. He explained that elders who suffer from heart disease, can experience any mix of the above symptoms, which can also include heart attack or stroke. He also said that in the future, if she experiences symptoms of a heart attack which he explained, had severe chest pain or loss of consciousness, then emergency medical treatment should be sought.
After completing further tests to ascertain a more concrete diagnosis, the doctor prescribed a course of treatments which included management through medication and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. While my mom has had no further complications to date, I still can’t help but hold my breath when the phone rings; but I know now I can put my own reservations aside and offer my support where it’s needed.
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, is loosely defined as the heart’s inability to pump enough blood as required by the body to function properly. There are many potential causes of this often deadly disease, many of which seniors are more susceptible to contracting due to the natural aging process. Conditions that may result in heart disease can be silent killers, as they often are not detected until damage has already occurred. Causes of heart disease include both heart related problems, and diseases which may appear unrelated to the heart but can have severe consequences.
Heart Problems Causing Heart Failure
• Coronary Artery Disease – most common form of heart disease and the most common cause of heart failure. Occurs when there is a build up of fatty deposits, which narrows the arteries. This can deprive areas of the heart muscles of oxygen creating greater weakness.
• Heart attack – plaque formed by fatty deposits in the arteries rupture, creating a back flow of blood clots to the heart.
• Faculty heart valves – healthy valves are forced to work overtime to make up from the lack of blood flow from the faulty valve.
• Cardiomyopathy (damage to the heart muscle) – diseases, infections, alcohol and drug abuse can all damage the heart muscle.
• Myocarditus (inflammation of the heart muscle) – often caused by a virus.
• Congenital heart defects – valves or chambers in the heart may not form correctly at birth, which requires the healthy parts of the heart to work overtime.
• Heart arrythmias – the heart beats too fast, which creates extra work.
Aging Factors and Other Illnesses Causing Heart Failure
• High blood pressure (hypertension) – requires that the heart work overtime to pump the blood through the body.
• Diabetes
• Severe anemia
• Hyperthyroidism
• Emphysema
• Lupus
• Hemochromotosis
• Viruses that attack the heart muscle, severe infections, allergic reactions, blood clots in the lungs, and certain medications might cause acute heart failure.
If you or an important elder in your life have a family history which includes any of the above diseases or ailments, ensure these issues are discussed with your family doctor so your risk of heart failure can be assessed and treated. The potential for heart failure doesn’t have to be a looming fear, with proper diagnosis and treatment, effects can’t be reversed but severe damage can be prevented. Remember, a healthy life means a healthy heart, so take care of yourself through a well-balanced diet and regular exercise, and you will be rolling in the benefits.
Home Instead Senior Care Dallas - Your elderly loved one prefers to live at home and our CAREGivers are trained to help them remain safe and healthy at home. Call us at 972-239-3934.
WEAR RED DAY (1st Friday) of this month
This is the day when people are encouraged to wear red to show their support for heart disease awareness in women. The Red Dress is the national symbol and it helps alert women about their personal risk factors for heart disease. To learn more, visit goredforwomen.org.
A Home Instead CAREGiver can help clients transition home from the hospital if they’ve had a heart attack. Oftentimes their doctor limits what activities they can do around the house - a CAREGiver can help with laundry and other light housekeeping. They may also be weak, so it’s good to have someone around.
If clients haven’t had a heart attack CAREGivers can help prevent one by assisting with a walk around the block, transporting them to an exercise class or trying a new activity. A CAREGiver can also remind them to take their cholesterol, blood pressure or other vital medication, or plan and prepare nutritious, heart-healthy meals.
The Red Dress is a trademark of DHHS.
Sources: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute;
National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services
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