What Can Your Senior Do about Bone Loss?

By James Hughes | February 10, 2022 |

Elder Care: Bone loss might feel like something your senior can’t do anything about, but there might be more that she can do than she thinks.

You and your elder care provider can try some of these ideas and be sure to talk with her doctor, too.

Elder Care in Gulf Shores AL: Bone Loss

Engage in Weight-Bearing Exercises

Exercises that cause your elderly family member’s bones to bear weight, like walking or strength training, offer an opportunity for your senior’s bones to grow stronger. Always talk to her doctor before your senior starts any new type of exercise, just in case there’s a reason that she shouldn’t be doing that particular exercise. Consistency is always good with exercise, so help her to find something that she loves doing and can stick with for a while.

Eat Plenty of Protein

What your senior eats always matters because that is where her body and her bones get the fuel they need. Protein in particular is good for keeping your senior’s muscles strong and can help her to keep her bones strong as well. Protein also helps your senior’s immune system, so it’s a vital nutrient she needs to prioritize. If cooking and meal preparation are feeling like a hassle for her, then it might be a good idea to bring in 24-hour home care providers.

Prioritize Vitamin D as well as Calcium

Most people know that calcium is great for strong bones, but vitamin D also has a role to play in bone health. Way more people are deficient in this vital nutrient than realize it, so it might be a good idea for your senior to get her vitamin D levels tested by her doctor. Then she’ll know what she needs to do next. Home care providers can help her to remember to prioritize both vitamin D and calcium in what she eats.

Elder Care: Reduce Other Controllable Risk Factors

There are a lot of risk factors involved in bone loss and osteoporosis, some of them are even controllable, like exercise and nutrition. Factors like heredity aren’t as controllable, which means that your senior needs to get serious about what she can actually do something about. If she smokes, for example, then quitting is a priority. Talk with her doctor about what other risk factors you’re senior is facing.

24-hour home care providers can be a huge help in your senior’s quest to keep her bones strong for as long as possible. They can also help with managing things like clutter and other fall prevention activities so that your senior is less likely to experience a fall at home.

If you or someone you know needs Elder Care in Gulf Shores, AL, please contact the friendly caregivers at  Hughes Home Care. We provide quality and affordable care for your elderly loved ones in our community. Call Us Today at 251-517-9901. Serving Mobile & Baldwin County.

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James Hughes

Owner at Hughes Home Care

James Hughes is a graduate of The University of Alabama (Health Care Administration), the University Of Alabama, Birmingham (Physical Therapy) and is a Navy veteran.

He has three teenage children and are actively involved in their church and community – James coach’s youth football, basketball and baseball and serves at 3 Circle Church. He is a member of the Fairhope Youth Football Board and the Rock Creek POA Board.

It is his passion and commitment to providing quality and responsive service that has made their company the fastest growing home care agency in South Alabama.

He believes that being an independently owned and operated company gives him the flexibility to manage his business in a way that better serves their clients.

He understands that you have a choice of care providers and he will do his utmost to earn your trust.