Seniors are now living longer due to better healthcare and advances in technology. Making healthy lifestyle choices is one of the best ways for your senior loved one to live a longer and higher-quality life. Here are some things your loved one can do to increase his or her chances of living to be a centenarian.
1. Continue Working
Just because your loved one is no longer working a full-time job doesn’t mean he or she has to quit working or volunteering. Working tends to include socialization, which can increase the odds of living to be 100. Make sure the work your loved one does isn’t hard or stressful. Encourage volunteering at the local library or working a few hours at a community center for seniors or young children. Your loved one can keep his or her brain active while doing something that provides a sense of purpose.
2. Avoid Smoking
Smoking is a bad habit that puts seniors at higher risk for stroke, heart disease, and other serious health issues. If your loved one wants to live to be a centenarian, smoking is one habit he or she should quit. When your loved one stops smoking, he or she may see health benefits immediately.
3. Drink Water
Drinking plenty of water each day is a healthy lifestyle choice that helps seniors live longer, healthier lives. Water helps the body maintain a normal temperature, protects the spinal cord, lubricates and cushions the joints, and rids the body of waste. Your loved one should drink at least eight glasses of water per day.
4. Eat Natural Foods
Eating a nutritious diet could increase your loved one’s chances of living to be 100. Food from fast-food restaurants or meals full of bad fats could cause your loved one to develop serious health issues and shorten his or her life span. However, eating healthy foods fuels the body to operate better and longer. The purest foods to eat are:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Lean meats
- Fish
- Nuts
- Low-fat dairy products
- Minimally processed whole grains
Maintaining a high quality of life can be challenging for some seniors, but professional caregivers can help them attain this goal. Families can trust homecare services experts to help their elderly loved ones focus on lifestyle choices that increase the chances of living longer and healthier lives.
5. Think Positive
Positive thinking can lower the odds of depression, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, build greater resistance to illnesses such as the common cold, and increase longevity. Help your loved one create positive mantras to recite each day, and encourage him or her to make it a goal to be more positive with each passing day. A happier life could lead to a longer life.
Professional caregivers can also help seniors manage stress, think positive, and enjoy a higher quality of life. If your senior loved one needs hourly or live-in care, Danville Assisting Hands Home Care can help. Our caregivers can assist with exercise and mobility, prepare nutritious meals, provide timely medication reminders, and help with a wide array of other important daily tasks.
6. Keep Moving
Long periods of inactivity are bad for the body. Encourage your loved one to stand up for short periods when watching television or talking on the phone. Take brief walks together in the evening or on the weekends. It doesn’t matter how your loved one does it, but he or she needs to keep moving if he or she wants to live to be a centenarian.
7. Be Creative
Being creative is one of the best ways for seniors to live longer and stay independent. Creativity requires using a variety of skills, including thinking skills, memory, hand-eye coordination, and communication skills. Your loved one can gain a sense of purpose and accomplishment when working on a project or turning an idea into a reality.
Seniors who need help staying active, maintaining a sense of independence, and managing daily activities can benefit from professional home care. Aging adults who require assistance with the tasks of daily living can benefit from reliable home care. Danville families trust Assisting Hands Home Care to provide the high-quality care their elderly loved ones need and deserve. Our caregivers are trained to help seniors prevent and manage serious illnesses and encourage them to make healthier decisions as they age. Call one of our friendly Care Managers today to schedule a free consultation.
