People live longer these days than they ever did before. However, that also means that there are more people living with chronic diseases, like heart disease and diabetes. In a new study, researchers suggest that there are 5 factors that can mean your aging relative living longer without chronic disease.
About the Study
Senior Care Austin, TX: Living Without Disease Longer
Researchers used information gathered from two previous studies, the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. In total there were more than 111,000 participants. Participants were assigned a lifestyle score ranging from 0 to 5 using 5 lifestyle factors to calculate the score:
- Being a healthy weight.
- Not smoking.
- Exercising a minimum of 30 minutes per day.
- Drinking alcohol in moderation.
- Eating a good diet.
The researchers determined that the higher a person’s score, or the more of these lifestyle recommendations they followed, the longer they could expect to live without disease.
Tips for a Healthier Life
The lifestyle factors listed above probably aren’t anything you haven’t heard before. Still, a reminder of the things your older family member can do to stay healthier may help to refocus them toward a healthier life. In addition to following the lifestyle factors above, these things might also improve your older family member’s health:
Get Vaccinated: Even older adults need vaccines to prevent serious illnesses. An annual flu vaccination can keep them from getting the flu, which can have serious complications and even lead to death in older adults. Ask your older family members which other vaccines they need.
Choose Healthy Snacks: When the senior gets hungry between mealtimes, encourage them to reach for healthy snacks, like nuts or fruit, rather than chips or cookies. It can be helpful to have healthy snacks prepared that the older adult can grab and eat. For example, cut up fresh vegetables and put them in snack-sized bags.
Get Enough Sleep: Getting enough sleep will help the senior to have the energy they need to go about their daily lives. It will also help them to feel up to being physically active.
Stay Hydrated: Drinking enough water and other liquids helps older adults to avoid dehydration.
Senior care is another way to help your aging family member to stay healthier. A senior care provider can make certain they eat healthy meals each day by cooking for them. Senior care providers can also encourage the older adult to stay physically active by inviting them to do activities around the house or go for walks. In addition, a senior care provider can drive the older adult to get vaccinations and see their doctor.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering senior care in Austin, TX please contact the caring staff at Viv Health Care Services today at. (832) 871-4223.
Sources
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327428.php#1
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/8-fall-tips-healthy-living#1
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/27-health-and-nutrition-tips#section1