Are you concerned about the health of your aging parent? It’s vitally important to continue good eating habits into later years. A senior adult requires fewer calories than they used to, but still need all the nutrients that contribute to good health. Does your parent find it difficult to go grocery shopping or to fix healthy homemade meals like they used to? Perhaps it’s time to consider hiring home care services. A trained and experienced caregiver could come in for a few hours each day and give your parent the help they need.

The month of September is dedicated to increasing awareness about cholesterol levels. It’s important for all adults to know what steps they can take to reduce levels of the bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase levels of good cholesterol (HDL).

Too much cholesterol in the blood is one of the markers for increased risk of heart disease and stroke. These are two leading causes of death for adults in the United States.

Cholesterol is necessary in the body because it helps to digest saturated fats in the diet. But when too much cholesterol builds up in the blood it can coat the arteries and form blockages. This process leads to heart disease, stroke and heart attack.

It’s estimated that only 1/3 of all Americans with high cholesterol are doing something to keep their condition under control. When you consider there are over 70 million adults in America with high cholesterol, the statistics are staggering.

High cholesterol doesn’t always have any symptoms. A person wouldn’t even know their cholesterol levels are too high unless they took a simple screening test which only requires a sample of blood.

Ways to prevent or treat levels of high cholesterol

1. Regular exercise helps lower cholesterol. The Surgeon General recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise each week for adults.
2. Maintain a healthy weight. Overweight or obesity raises cholesterol levels.
3. Eat a healthy diet. Avoid too much saturated or trans-fats, which raises the level of cholesterol.
4. Eat fiber to lower cholesterol. Oat fiber is especially good for this.
5. Don’t smoke. If you do, cease as soon as possible. Talk to your doctor about cessation programs.
6. You may be prescribed some medication by your doctor to counteract your cholesterol levels.

September is a good month to make sure you and your elderly loved one get a cholesterol screening. It’s also a good time to make dietary changes which would reduce your risks of high blood cholesterol. If you haven’t started a regular exercise routine which involves at least 3 days each week, now is as good a time as any to start.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring home care services in Princeton NJ, or the surrounding areas. Please call Independence Home Care today at (609) 642-4085 for more information .