Having a heart attack is not only a frightening experience for your parent, but it also puts them at higher risk of suffering another. This means that when your parent is recovering from a heart attack your caregiver efforts and plans should not be focused just on helping through through this recovery and rehabilitation, but also on preventing a future heart attack. There are many things that you can do in conjunction with your parent’s doctor to help reduce this risk, including making sure that they take the medications that they need when and how they need to and keeping up with follow up appointments, but it is important not to forget that some of the most impactful efforts you can make are actually lifestyle changes.

Top lifestyle changes to make to protect your parent against another heart attack include:

• Get into the habit of reading the nutrition labels on everything that your parent eats t make sure that they are staying within the guidelines for sodium consumption that the doctor put forth for them.
• Make changes to their diet that will reduce the fat, cholesterol, sodium, and additives that your parent consumes. This can help them to keep their body healthier and reduce the strain on their heart.
• Start integrating physical activity into their daily routine. Even simple things such as walking around the block each day or doing a simple chair-based exercise routine in the home can add up to many positive benefits.
• Help your parent find healthy ways to cope with stress and emotional strain, such as participating in a support group.
• Increase their home care so that they have additional companionship and can also stay more active and engaged in their daily lifestyle.

Being a family caregiver means that you will make a wide variety of important decisions for your elderly parent. One of the most beneficial may be to start home care for them. As a caregiver you may feel as though you need to handle everything for your parent on your own. This, however, is not the case. Relying on the professional, highly personalized services of a home care provider can be a fantastic way to support and boost the quality of life, health, and well-being of your aging parent throughout their later years. This care provider will not only help your parent to manage their physical needs in the ways that are right for them, but will also provide companionship that can boost their mental and emotional health and well-being. This encourages your parent to stay healthy and active, but also motivated, independent, and fulfilled. As their family caregiver, this can provide tremendous peace of mind and ease your stress throughout the course of your care journey.

If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Caregivers in Redington Beach, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.