Blog > Senior Health: It’s Never Too Late to Break These Habits

Senior Health: It’s Never Too Late to Break These Habits

Senior Health: You probably already know how difficult it can be to break a habit.

Even if you recently developed a bad habit, it can still be tough to replace it with a positive habit. Now, think about your elderly loved one. They have likely had certain habits for many years. This means it may take even longer for them to break a habit, especially if they try to do it on their own. The good news is that it is never too later to break the following habits. You and home care providers can help your elderly loved one to overcome them, as well for good senior health.

Smoking Cigarettes

Has your elderly loved one smoked cigarettes for many years? If so, you can already bet they know the dangers of smoking. You don’t necessarily need to talk to them about those dangers. In fact, doing so may just make them angry and cause them to dig their heels in even more. However, that doesn’t mean that you and home care providers can’t support your elderly loved one in overcoming their smoking habit. Some of the ways you can do this include:

Talking to them about medications they can get from a doctor or over-the-counter
Quit smoking with them (if you also smoke – having a support partner may help)
Do positive activities to replace smoking (ex. Chew a piece of gum every time they think about smoking)

If your elderly loved one is a smoker, hopefully, these tips can help them to quit smoking. It is important for your elderly loved one to know that it is never too late to stop smoking. They can still experience the benefits when they quit.

Inactivity

Has your elderly loved one been inactive for quite some time? If so, they may think that it doesn’t matter whether they are active now that they are older. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, research shows there are many health issues that can be a direct cause of inactivity. If your elderly loved one is being inactive, there are many ways you and home care providers can encourage them to be more active. Some of the ways to do this include:

Go for walks with them
Go on picnics to the local park
Have get-togethers outside
Encourage them to garden or do other outdoor activities

These are just a few of the great ways for your elderly loved one to be more active. If they aren’t being active just because they don’t have someone to do things with and you can’t be around, don’t hesitate to hire home care providers.

Isolation

Many elderly people will isolate themselves from their family members and friends. If you notice your elderly loved one is doing this, find out the reason why. If it is because they feel they need help but will be a burden to their loved ones, hiring home care providers can help. These providers can help your elderly loved one and you can just be their family member.

Senior Health: Conclusion

These are some of the habits that it is never too late to quit. Talk to your elderly loved one about their bad habits. If your elderly loved one is ready to overcome these bad habits, be there to support them for better senior health.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering hiring Homecare in Thornton, CO, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home today at 303-255-4071.