Tips for Better Digestion for Your Elderly Loved One

Elderly Care in Fairfax VA

Healthy digestion is important for the elderly, but becomes increasingly difficult with age. There are a variety of age-related factors that impact a person’s ability to digest the food that he or she eats. Some of these factors include medications, tooth decay, gum disease and sedentary lifestyle.

A lack of healthy digestion can results in indigestion, constipation and ulcers. Take a look at 8 ways to improve your elderly loved one’s digestion.

1.     Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated can help ease constipation, which becomes more common as we age. Liquids and fiber make a healthy digestion combo by bulking up and softening stools so they pass more easily through the digestive tract.

2.     Don’t overeat. Maintaining a healthy weight is a good way to help with digestion, but harder to do as your loved one ages. This is caused by lifestyle changes like a decrease in mobility, for example.

3.     Eat more fiber. Eating fiber has a dual benefit: it helps with constipation and can also make a person feel fuller after eating. Fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains are the best source of fiber.

4.     Get busy. Regular aerobic exercise like walking, biking, swimming and dancing helps to ease digestions. It also helps to prevent heart disease and high blood pressure.

5.     Reduce stress. Stress increases gastric acid, causing heartburn and indigestions.

6.     Eat colorful fruits and vegetables. Eating five or more fruits and vegetables a day will decrease the risk for cancers of the colon and rectum, which increases with age. It also helps with constipation. The more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the more antioxidants it has, so eat up!

7.     Practice good dental care. Teeth are needed to properly chew food. Not being able to do so can cause the food that your loved one eats to not be chewed into small enough pieces to be digested properly.

8.     Talk to your loved one’s doctor. Changes happen in a person’s stomach as he or she gets older. This can restrict your loved one’s diet, like the inability to eat spicy food.
9.     Make lifestyle changes. If your loved one begins to watch his or her weight, exercise or quit smoking; these lifestyle changes can also help to improve his or her digestive system.

Intestinal problems in the elderly is a common problem that can be treated. Try these 8 tips to ensure your loved one’s healthy digestion.

How home care can help

Your loved one’s home care provider is there to assist your loved one as much as possible. This includes assisting with daily tasks that have become increasingly more difficult as your loved one ages or providing respite services to give you and your family a much-needed break.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care services in Fairfax, VA, call the caring staff at Medical Professionals On Call today. 703-273-8818

Source

http://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health-pictures/9-steps-to-better-digestion-as-you-age.aspx#09

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Michelle DeFilippis

I graduated with a BS degree and had been selling medical equipment to hospitals, clinics and technicians. More recently, a family member was diagnosed with dementia and we, as a family, realized we were not prepared t care for her. We were thrown into that whirlpool of hospital stays, 24/7 live-in care, skilled care, caring for mom ourselves and finally, now daily home care. This was such a stressful time that I started thinking there had to be other people, other families as overwhelmed and unprepared as we were.

Medical Professionals On Call has such a caring, professional staff who are available to step in with whatever level of care necessary for loved ones and to relieve you of that stress.

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