Senior Care Services and Bone Health
According to the National Institute of Health, seniors need to pay special attention to their bone health. Specifically, "Having healthy bones won't prevent a fall. If you fall, though, having healthy bones can prevent hip or other fractures that may lead to a hospital or nursing home stay, disability, or even death."
Given the importance of bone health, what can seniors do to improve the strength of their bones? First, eat and drink foods and liquids with the proper nutrients. For bone health, those nutrients are calcium and vitamin D. At a minimum, seniors should consume 1,200 mg of calcium each day.
Be careful, though. Calcium is not enough. In fact, even 5,000 or 10,000 mg a day isn't enough if …show more content…
Supplements are okay, but not as good as sunlight and proper nutrition. Seniors need at least 600 to 800 International Units each day. Senior care services can help your senior loved one regulate their vitamin D intake and even include it in a medication management plan.
Weight bearing exercise is also important for bone health. When the brain senses that the bones need to carry an additional load, it sends a signal to the body to strengthen the bones. Sadly, many seniors with high risks of osteoporosis have frail bones and are afraid of falling or damaging their bones so they avoid weight-bearing exercises. This creates a terrible circle effect. The lack of proper exercise leads to weaker bones and the weaker the bones get, the more the senior fears the exercise.
A few of the safer weight bearing exercises that are also low-impact include walking, using a stair-step machine, low-impact aerobics, and Tai Chi. Seniors at high risk of broken bones due to osteoporosis should consult a physician before partaking in exercises that include bending such as Yoga or Pilates. Senior care services can also provide physical support if needed to lessen the risk of injury during
According to the National Institute of Health, seniors need to pay special attention to their bone health. Specifically, "Having healthy bones won't prevent a fall. If you fall, though, having healthy bones can prevent hip or other fractures that may lead to a hospital or nursing home stay, disability, or even death."
Given the importance of bone health, what can seniors do to improve the strength of their bones? First, eat and drink foods and liquids with the proper nutrients. For bone health, those nutrients are calcium and vitamin D. At a minimum, seniors should consume 1,200 mg of calcium each day.
Be careful, though. Calcium is not enough. In fact, even 5,000 or 10,000 mg a day isn't enough if …show more content…
Supplements are okay, but not as good as sunlight and proper nutrition. Seniors need at least 600 to 800 International Units each day. Senior care services can help your senior loved one regulate their vitamin D intake and even include it in a medication management plan.
Weight bearing exercise is also important for bone health. When the brain senses that the bones need to carry an additional load, it sends a signal to the body to strengthen the bones. Sadly, many seniors with high risks of osteoporosis have frail bones and are afraid of falling or damaging their bones so they avoid weight-bearing exercises. This creates a terrible circle effect. The lack of proper exercise leads to weaker bones and the weaker the bones get, the more the senior fears the exercise.
A few of the safer weight bearing exercises that are also low-impact include walking, using a stair-step machine, low-impact aerobics, and Tai Chi. Seniors at high risk of broken bones due to osteoporosis should consult a physician before partaking in exercises that include bending such as Yoga or Pilates. Senior care services can also provide physical support if needed to lessen the risk of injury during