Encouraging Healthy Digestion

Home Care in Squirrel Hill PA

As a family caregiver, it is your responsibility to help your elderly parent maintain their best health as they age in place. This covers many tasks and needs, such as helping them to design, implement, and follow through with an aggressive germ control approach and encouraging them to remain compliant with the guidelines and prescriptions their doctor gives them. One of the most important things that you can do, however, is help them to keep their body strong and healthy from the inside out. Digestion is one of the body’s vital processes. This is when it breaks down the food that your parent eats and uses it to create the fuel that it needs to function and thrive, and removes waste products that are unusable or even damaging to the body. When this process does not work effectively, the body does not get what it needs and may experience adverse effects from the lingering presence of potentially toxic waste products in the system. Fortunately there are many things that you can integrate into your care routine to help your parent achieve and maintain healthy digestion.
January is California Dried Plum Digestive Month. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with your parent to find ways to help them keep their body healthier and support better digestion throughout their later years.
 
Use some of these tips to help encourage your parent to take care of their digestive system as an important part of their regular health routine:

• Eat dried plums. Also referred to as prunes, dried plums are a tasty addition to your parent’s regular diet. Sweet and dense, these dried fruits contain 4 grams of dietary fiber per serving. This fiber helps to prevent constipation and aids in regularity. It can also help with the prevention of hemorrhoids. Discourage your senior from eating too many of them as they can cause gastric distress in high amounts. Talk to their doctor about the amount that is right for them.
• Stay hydrated. Every system of your body requires water to function, and that includes your digestive system. Encourage your elderly loved one to drink plenty of water each day and eat foods that are high in fluids as well, such as soups, fruits, vegetables, and even gelatin. This will help to break down the food in the system and move it through effectively.
• Stay active. Inactivity is a leading cause of digestive inefficiency. If your elderly parent is experiencing difficulty with their digestive system, encouraging them to exercise more can help them to improve their symptoms and achieve overall better health. Talk to their doctor about the types of activities that are right for them according to their current health and other issues.

 
Starting senior care for your elderly parent can be one of the best ways to encourage them to eat a healthier diet and gain the natural benefits of a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. The highly personalized services of a senior home care services provider address your elderly parent’s individual needs in the context of their personality, beliefs, and lifestyle goals, allowing them to live the highest quality of life possible as they age in place. When it comes to helping them achieve better health through their diet, this care provider can provide safe and reliable transportation to the grocery store when your parent wants or needs to go to help them select the foods that are right for them, research with them to find healthy recipes that correspond with their personal tastes as well as their dietary needs, and assist them with meal and snack preparation to ensure that they can get the nutrition that they need throughout their later years.
 

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Squirrel Hill, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Liken Home Care.  Call (412) 693-6820 or (855) 856-0551

 
Resources:
http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/top-benefits-of-prunes-prune-juice