January is Healthy Weight Awareness Month and it’s a fantastic time for seniors to think about their weight goals. Seniors who are overweight can get a lot of health benefits from losing weight and trying to reach a healthy weight like a lower risk of having a heart attack or a stroke. But what is a healthy weight? It’s different for everyone. Only your senior loved one’s doctor can really say what a healthy weight is for your senior loved one. That’s because there are several different factors that go into determining what a healthy weight is for a senior. Having senior home care services can help your loved maintain a healthy weight.
Current Weight
Senior Home Care Westwood MA – Senior Home Care: What Is A Healthy Weight For Seniors?One of the biggest factors that will determine what a healthy weight is for your senior loved one is their current weight. If your elderly loved one is only slightly overweight their doctor may not recommend a lot of weight loss because being a few pounds overweight won’t significantly increase their risk of any negative side effects of carrying extra weight. However, if your loved one is significantly overweight then their weight is an important factor in determining their healthy weight and how much weight they can reasonably lose.
Senior Home Care Aides can Assist with Lifestyle Changes
If your senior loved one has always had a very active lifestyle and they enjoy exercising or still love to do things like hike or ski they will have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight because they can engage in vigorous exercise. But if your loved one has a practically sedentary lifestyle and doesn’t exercise frequently the doctor may recommend that they focus on diet in order to get to a healthy weight because they aren’t very physically active and don’t burn as many calories as seniors who are more active. Elders who want to be more active but have physical challenges can get senior home care providers to help them be more active and to get as much exercise as they can. Senior home care providers can also help your senior loved one cook healthier meals and watch their portion sizes.
Medical Conditions
Medications can often cause weight gain as a side effect, or make it more difficult for seniors to lose weight. So when your senior loved one’s doctor is determining what a realistic healthy weight is for your senior loved one they will take into account what medical conditions your senior loved one has and what medications they take. While your senior loved one may not be able to reach an ideal weight because of their medical conditions or medications losing even a little weight can still have big health benefits.
Age
Age is another factor that will help a doctor determine what your senior loved one’s healthy weight should be. Age and physical condition together will make it easier for the doctor to decide how much activity is appropriate for your senior loved one and whether or not their healthy weight should be adjusted as they get older.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Home Care Services in Westwood MA, or anywhere in Eastern Massachusetts, please call the caring staff at CARE Resolutions – (508) 906-5572
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