In the elderly, health declines with age, the older the age, the weaker the health due to the natural degeneration mechanism and the decline of many body functions, so the elderly often suffer from chronic diseases such as: cardiovascular, high blood pressure, diabetes, respiratory diseases… In addition to physical changes, when the elderly are weak, the psychology and spirit of the elderly will also change. All of these things not only reduce the quality of life, but also endanger life. To take good care of the health of the elderly, it is necessary to pay attention to both physical and mental health.
Cao Bang General Hospital of Traditional Medicine – Rehabilitation organizes a program to provide consultation, health check-up, and free medicine for the elderly in response to the “Month of Action for the Elderly in Vietnam”. Photo: Hong Hanh
A reasonable diet for the elderly
The digestive system of the elderly often has many problems, making it difficult to absorb nutrients. When taking care of the elderly’s health, a suitable and scientific diet to improve the health of the elderly is a factor that cannot be ignored. The elderly need to eat a balanced diet of nutrients (including carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals). They should eat plant foods such as sesame, peanuts, beans, green vegetables and ripe fruits, eat less meat and instead eat fish, shrimp, etc. because the elderly have poor digestion and absorption of protein, so they are prone to protein deficiency. Beans, peanuts, sesame and fish are all rich in protein and have a lot of oil, which helps prevent cardiovascular diseases. In addition, when eating, you need to eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. Eat steamed and boiled dishes instead of fried and grilled dishes, soft, chopped and well-cooked dishes to suit weak teeth and easy to digest. Do not eat too much, especially at night. After eating, you should sit or walk gently for 30 minutes to help the stomach mix the food and make it easier to digest.
Elderly people often drink little water, while water is very useful in supporting digestion and eliminating waste from the body. Therefore, the elderly should drink enough 1.5 – 2 liters of water/day, actively drink water even when not thirsty. You should drink 1 glass of low-fat, low-sugar milk every day to fully supplement nutrients for the body.
Lifestyle and mental health care for the elderly
Elderly people often have difficulty sleeping, urinate many times at night, wake up easily and have difficulty falling back asleep. Sleep disorders significantly reduce health and quality of life, leading to physical and mental weakness. Therefore, the elderly should practice the habit of going to bed and waking up at a certain time, should not use a high pillow when sleeping, keep the sleeping space quiet, airy, and low light.
Encourage the elderly to exercise regularly. Regular exercise helps reduce problems related to age and aging. Regular exercise helps improve health, limit cardiovascular diseases, contribute to weight loss in overweight cases, prevent osteoporosis, improve muscle strength and functional activities, and improve psychologically. The elderly should choose exercises that are suitable for their health, interests, and easy to do such as: walking, aerobics, yoga, playing chess, etc.
Regular care and visit
The elderly are very important psychologically, they really need the love and care of their children and relatives, this is also one of the important things in taking care of the health of the elderly. Therefore, do not blame or have actions that affect the psychology of the elderly. It is best to talk cheerfully, create a feeling of closeness, gentleness, and care. This is the best tonic for health, helping the elderly feel happy and joyful every day.
Periodic health check-ups for the elderly
For the elderly, the natural aging process contributes to causing health problems and weakening the ability to recover. Diseases of the elderly often develop silently, chronically and when detected, they are already severe. Therefore, the elderly need to have a periodic health check-up every 6 months. Through periodic check-ups, it helps to screen and detect early common diseases in the elderly. Early detection of these diseases helps to provide timely and effective treatment measures, reducing the risk of serious complications.
Periodic health check-ups provide the opportunity to receive advice on diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle. Doctors and health care professionals will provide specific advice to help seniors maintain good health, prevent disease, and improve their quality of life.
Regular health check-ups not only help detect and treat diseases, but also help improve the quality of life of seniors. Maintaining a regular health care regimen helps seniors live healthier, more active lives and have better mental health.
Regular health check-ups provide many important benefits for seniors, from early detection and management of disease, nutrition and lifestyle advice, to improving quality of life. In particular, regular health check-ups