Walking Tips to Help Improve Your Elderly Loved One’s Health

By Kevin Edwards | June 16, 2020 |

Are you trying to help your elderly loved one improve their overall health? If so, it is important to realize that not every elderly adult can do every type of exercise. With this being said, the majority of elderly adults are able to walk around. The good thing is there are numerous health benefits that your elderly loved one can gain from taking regular walks including improved heart health, better strength, improved balance, and much more. There are many ways to get your elderly loved one to walk around more.

Gardening

Home Health Care Kansas City MO - Walking Tips to Help Improve Your Elderly Loved One’s Health — Home Health Care Kansas City MO – Walking Tips to Help Improve Your Elderly Loved One’s Health

Gardening involves a lot of walking. Your elderly loved one will be walking back and forth to plant the flowers and/or to water the plants. They will need to get outside regularly (probably once a day) to either water their plants or weed their garden. During this time, they are going to get fresh air and work their muscles, too. Gardening can improve your elderly loved one’s strength, boost their energy, improve their heart health, and improve overall health, as well.

Doing Chores

Another way that you can get your elderly loved one to walk around more is by having them do household chores. Before having them do chores, be sure that if they have balance issues, you hire a home care provider to help them out, to reduce the risk of falls. There are many household chores that your elderly loved one can do that will get them walking. Some of these include vacuuming, doing the laundry, walking a pet, and sweeping. You can help your elderly loved one to get moving around regularly by implementing a household chore schedule for them to follow.

Walking Around the Block

If your elderly loved one enjoys taking walks, you can encourage them to take walks around their block. They may want to do this with their home health care provider, as well. If your elderly loved one doesn’t live in the city, you can encourage them to walk up and down the road where they live or just walk around their neighborhood. Getting outside to take walks can improve your elderly loved one’s mental health and physical health in numerous ways. You can make your elderly loved one a walking schedule for each week. This should include taking at least 3 – 15 to 30-minute walks each week.

These are some of the ways that you can get your elderly loved one walking more. No matter what they are walking for, regular walking can help to improve their overall health.

Sources: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/getting-active/get-real-about-getting-active

https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2017/health-benefits-of-gardening-fd.html

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Home Health Care Services in the Kansas City MO area, please contact the caring staff at Elder Care of Kansas City, today. Proudly serving Jackson, Clay, Platte and Cass Counties in Missouri as well as Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas for over 30 years. Call us at 816-333-3322.

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Kevin Edwards

Owner at Elder Care of Kansas City

Kevin’s life and the lives of his immediate family have been impacted by caregivers – either as a patient or a caregiver - for as long as he can remember.He watched his mother take care of his grandmother until her death at the age of 97.Five years later, his father passed from a neurological disorder that was subsequently confirmed as Lewy Body Dementia.In 2007, his wife, Lori, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.The symptoms of Lori’s disease required Kevin to hire a caregiver during the periods of her relapses.

Prior to purchasing Elder Care, Kevin spent over 20 years in the health insurance industry.In his most recent position, he was in a financial operations role with Humana where he worked with doctors, nurses and other health professionals developing programs to keep Humana members healthy.Their focus on primary care and medication adherence improved the lives of thousands of seniors in Kansas City and the surrounding area.

Kevin and his wife, Lori, have three children.Kevin has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Missouri.