When it comes to cholesterol, it is very important for senior citizens to have a good grasp of what it means and how it affects their overall health. This is one of the best ways to keep heart disease and other health issues at bay. In addition, cholesterol is often misunderstood, so it is important that your elderly loved one and their home care assistance provider has the facts.
Good and Bad Cholesterol
The first misunderstanding often revolves around cholesterol in general. Many senior citizens and others think that cholesterol is a bad thing. The truth is there is good and bad cholesterol. There is the LDL or low-density lipoprotein and the HDL or high-density lipoprotein. When there are too many LDLs in the body, the blood vessel passageways can become blocked or restricted. This greatly increases the risk of a stroke or a heart attack. HDLs aren’t as dangerous for the body since they get more cholesterol to your liver, where it can be broken down and leave your body.
Tracking Cholesterol Levels
Your elderly loved one’s doctor may want them to come in at least once a year for bloodwork. Usually, during these appointments for senior citizens, cholesterol is one of the things that is checked. By checking these numbers, your elderly loved one’s doctor can see if they need to make any lifestyle changes, such as altering their diet, to bring cholesterol numbers down. If you don’t feel that your elderly loved one will remember to attend these annual appointments or be able to show up to get their bloodwork done, you may want to hire home care assistance providers. These home care providers can drive your elderly loved one to and from the appointments.
Tips for Reducing High Cholesterol
If your elderly loved one does have high cholesterol, their doctor may recommend some lifestyle changes. Some of the best tips for reducing high cholesterol numbers are:
Reduce intake of red meats
Eat less processed meats like salami and bologna
Lower sodium intake
Reduce intake of full-fat dairy products
Lose weight
Stop smoking and/or drinking alcohol
Take medications to lower cholesterol
You or a home care provider may want to go with your elderly loved one to the appointments. That way, you can keep up with the advice that the doctor is giving your elderly loved one. In addition, by going to these appointments, you can always ask the doctor questions if you have any regarding your elderly loved one’s cholesterol levels or other health problems, too.
Conclusion
There are good and bad cholesterol levels. This is just one thing that senior citizens and their family caregivers need to remember. It is also vital to know how to reduce high bad cholesterol levels when it needs to be done. The tips that are noted above would be a good start for your elderly loved one if this is a health goal they need to accomplish. You and home care assistance providers can help them to reach these goals.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Care Assistance in Mclean, VA, please contact the caring staff at Decena Home Care, LLC today. 571-508-7144
Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/index.htm
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