The effects of aging may vary from person to person, but there are some normal age-related changes most seniors experience. These changes seldom lead to health issues as long as seniors make good lifestyle choices.
Maintaining a high quality of life can be challenging for some seniors, but professional caregivers can help them obtain this goal. Families can trust in Tucson home care experts to help their elderly loved ones focus on lifestyle choices that increase the chances of living a longer and healthier life. Here are some of the normal age-related changes many seniors might experience.
1. Hair Loss
Although it may not be a pleasant change for seniors, thinning hair is completely normal. It is natural for seniors to lose hair on a daily basis. Seniors might also experience a change in hair color. The hair goes gray when cells stop producing pigment, which is a natural process. There are treatments your senior loved one can use to prevent hair loss and changes in hair patterns. Some seniors dye their hair to prevent the gray from showing up.
2. Weak Bones
When your senior loved one ages, he or she loses some of the mineral content in the bones. As a result, the bones become weak and less dense. Although this is a normal age-related change, your senior loved one can slow bone loss by exercising and quitting habits that weaken the bones such as smoking. Your loved one will need to increase calcium and vitamin D intake to protect his or her bones from weakening.
3. Memory Impairment
Aging causes the weight of the brain, its nerve network size, and its blood flow to decrease. However, your senior loved one’s brain can adapt to these normal changes by growing new patterns of nerve endings. Challenges with the memory may be normal, but your loved one can keep his or her brain healthy by engaging in regular social activity. Learning new things, such as languages and instruments, could challenge your loved one’s brain. Regular exercise can also increase blood and oxygen flow to the brain, preventing memory loss and other issues.
For seniors living in Tucson, AZ, hourly care can be a wonderful solution when they need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Home Care Assistance, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home.
4. Poor Blood Circulation
As your senior loved one ages, his or her heart may become less efficient. Your elderly loved one might notice a gradual change in the amount of activity he or she does because of lack of energy. However, this does not prevent him or her from maintaining a healthy heart. Eating a well-balanced diet, exercising, avoiding stressful situations, and maintaining social interactions are some of the ways your senior loved one can keep his or her heart healthy.
5. Decreased Lung Efficiency
Seniors are more likely to be inactive as they age, which could cause the lungs to become less efficient in supplying oxygen to the body. The respiratory muscles might begin to weaken over time. This is a normal age-related change that doesn’t typically lead to serious lung issues among healthy seniors. If your loved one stops smoking and exercises regularly, his or her lungs can continue to function normally despite aging.
Professional caregivers can help seniors manage a number of age-related changes. If your aging loved one needs help managing the tasks of daily living and you’re searching for a reliable, expertly trained home caregiver, Tucson, AZ, Home Care Assistance is your top choice. At Home Care Assistance, our caregivers strive to make aging in place a safer and more comfortable experience for seniors so they can enjoy their golden years in better health. Call us at (520) 276-6555 today and create a customized care plan for your senior loved one.