After a senior loved one has a heart attack, your mind might be reeling with worry. For many people, a heart attack is a serious wake-up call that it’s time to focus on living healthier. You may also be concerned about how your loved one will manage life at home during recovery. You can provide several types of assistance that boost your loved one’s health and make household duties easier to manage after he or she leaves the hospital.
Take Note of the Doctor’s Orders
One of the most essential things you and your loved one can do right now is follow the doctor’s instructions closely. Doctors typically prescribe medications to help the heart function better. The physician may also recommend that your loved one attend a cardiovascular rehabilitation program. Take notes on what the doctor says, and create a plan to make sure your loved one is able to stick to the plan when he or she gets home.
Make It Easier to Rest at Home
Your loved one will be doing special exercises to get his or her heart in better shape. However, your parent will also need to spend large amounts of time resting so his or her body can heal. During this time, your loved one may need someone to help with cooking and cleaning until he or she has the energy to do more independently.
Some seniors need occasional assistance at home, and oftentimes the family members who take care of them need time away to run errands, take a nap, go to work, or take a vacation. Edmonton respite care experts from Home Care Assistance are available on an as-needed basis, giving your family peace of mind that your loved one will remain safe and comfortable while you relax or focus on other important responsibilities.
Provide Support for Healthy Lifestyle Changes
People with heart problems need to do everything they can to boost their cardiovascular health, and this means doing those things you hear doctors recommending all the time. Switching to a healthy diet, exercising, and quitting smoking are all changes your loved one might find difficult to make at first. Try to make this as easy and fun as possible. For example, your family might experiment with a new healthy dish each week, or you could exercise together.
Monitoring all the aspects of a loved one’s health, including diet and exercise, can be challenging for a family caregiver. If you have a senior loved one who needs help maintaining a high quality of life while aging in place, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of senior home care families can rely on. All of our caregivers are bonded, licenced, and insured, there are no hidden fees, and we never ask our clients to sign long-term contracts.
Monitor Daily Medications
Heart medication must be taken exactly as prescribed and on time to be as effective as possible. Your loved one may need reminders if he or she isn’t used to taking medication on a daily basis. If you feel uncomfortable being responsible for a complicated medication routine, a professional caregiver can help by providing timely medication reminders for your loved one.
Keep Careful Watch for Signs of a Second Heart Attack
Your loved one is more likely to have another heart attack once he or she has had one. Continue to monitor your parent’s health, and reach out for emergency medical assistance if he or she complains of chest or arm pain, shortness of breath, or excessive fatigue. In the beginning, your loved one may need around-the-clock care to ensure he or she doesn’t develop new symptoms without having someone available to help.
If your loved one needs help maintaining healthy habits that promote better cardiovascular health, a professional caregiver can be a wonderful source of support. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of at-home care. Edmonton families can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide individualized care plans to meet their elderly loved ones’ unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia. To learn about our premier in-home care options, give us a call at (780) 490-7337 today.