Keeping your elderly family member’s joints and bones as healthy as possible may not seem as easy as it was in the past. The reason for this is that aging and certain health conditions cause bone health to change fairly rapidly.
Elder Care in Wayne PA: Ways to Keep Joints and Bones Healthy
What Happens to Bones and Joints as People Age.
As your senior ages, her bones can become more brittle, either due to malnutrition or to other problems such as osteoporosis. That can leave her open to damage and even fractures from simple bumps. A fall can be truly disastrous. Her joints may be less flexible, too, which can also cause problems with her balance and her ability to save herself from a fall or other injury.
Calcium and Vitamin D are Crucial.
Most people know that calcium is a key component of bone health, but they may not realize that vitamin D is equally important to keep bones strong. Talk with your senior’s doctor about how much calcium and vitamin D are optimal for her. Blood tests can help to determine where your senior has vitamin and mineral deficiencies so that you can be sure that she’s not taking supplements that she doesn’t need.
So Is Exercise.
Weight-bearing exercise does more than help your senior have a healthy heart. It also helps her to keep her bones strong and her joints limber. Again, you need to work with your elderly family member’s doctor in order to determine the right amount of exercise for her. Walking, lifting weights, and dancing are great examples of weight-bearing exercises your senior might enjoy.
Some Activities Make Bone and Joint Trouble Worse.
Some of the things that your senior enjoys, such as smoking or drinking more than a few alcoholic drinks a week, can create problems when it comes to bone and joint health. If you’re concerned about any of the activities that your senior enjoys, make sure that you talk about them with her doctor so that you can get a full picture of which activities to watch more closely.
Work with your elderly family member’s doctor to ensure that you’re doing the right things for her overall health, but particularly her bones and joints.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Wayne, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860.
