Blood Pressure: Four Tips for Checking Your Senior’s Blood Pressure at Home

By James Hughes | May 20, 2021 |

Testing blood pressure levels at home can help your senior and her doctor to keep tabs on whether her treatments for high blood pressure are working or not.

It’s easier than your senior might think to test her blood pressure levels and to keep track of her results.

Home Health Care in Bay Minette AL: Blood Pressure

Get a Home Blood Pressure Monitor

There are so many home monitors available now. Honestly, the choices can be dizzying. If that’s the case for your senior, her doctor can help her to find one that will work well for her and that’s easy and accurate. Finding the right monitor helps to ensure that your senior will keep using it to keep an eye on her blood pressure.

Pay Attention to Activities Before Testing

Certain activities, done immediately before testing, can give inaccurate results. For instance, testing it right after exercising is going to show a higher reading than if your senior waited half an hour or so to test. Other things that can inflate blood pressure values are things like caffeinated beverages and smoking. In fact, that’s one of the reasons that smoking is something your senior might want to quit for better health in general.

Test in a Seated Position

When she’s ready to test, your senior should be seated with her feet flat on the floor and her back resting against the back of her seat. She shouldn’t have her feet or her arms crossed, because that can affect circulation during the test. It’s also a good idea to sit in this same position for a few minutes before the test to allow her breathing and her blood pressure to settle into what is her normal resting rate.

Log All Blood Pressure Readings and Other Important Information

After the test, make sure that your senior keeps track of her results. It’s a good idea to write down what time it was, and anything else that seems pertinent, like whether she had a headache or other issues. This is information that she can easily take with her to her doctor’s office.

If your aging family member finds it difficult to test on her own or to remember to test it night be a good idea to have someone there to help her. Elderly care providers can help with testing and any other tasks or chores that are becoming more complicated for your senior.

If you or someone you know needs a Home Health Care in Bay Minette, 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.

Author
Recent Posts

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.