Start off the new year focusing on your senior’s health and well-being.
In this article, we’ll discuss basic healthy habits with COVID-friendly tips.
Exercise Regularly
It is extremely important for both the body and the mind to exercise regularly.
Usually, it is recommended to exercise outside where your senior can get some nice, fresh air too. However, this year, it may be best to exercise indoors where your senior can take off his or her mask. Exercising with a mask on can be dangerous, and therefore it may be best to encourage your senior to exercise in his or her own home- mask free and oxygen friendly.
Soak Up the Morning Sun
Since your senior may not be going outside for exercise, it’s crucial he or she makes the extra effort to spend some time outdoors in the open air.
Grab a lawn chair, book, and/or radio, and tell your senior to just relax. The best time to do this is in the morning when the air is crisp and the sun is up but not too strong. Studies have shown that morning sun, especially, helps with sleep at night by building melatonin in the body.
Just remember to bring some sunscreen!
Leave the House Prepared
The most likely time for seniors to catch viruses, bacteria, and other germs is when they leave the house. This is why it’s important for seniors to be prepared. Some items to keep handy:
- Extra masks
- Face shield
- Gloves
- Mini hand sanitizer
- Tissues
Keep the Germs Out of the House
Always wash your hands immediately when coming home, and be sure to scrub properly. Leave your mask by the front door, so it’s not lying around touching other items in the house. If you or your senior just came back from a hospital or doctor’s office- consider changing clothes, and maybe even showering depending on the context of the visit.
It is also a good practice to every now and then wipe down the doorknob on the front door, the doorknob to the bathroom, the sink faucet and handles, and any keys to the house. These are the items you and your senior are most likely touching before washing your hands, and therefore are the items in your home that are the most likely to have outside germs lingering around. However, don’t stress too much about cleaning these objects, because the general consensus as of now seems to be that the COVID virus does not live on inanimate objects for too long.
Keep Up a Balanced Diet
With all the quarantining and staying home this year, ordering in food has become not just a convenience, but an activity too. Just make sure when you order, that you’re aiming for nutritional options to keep up your senior’s health. Think about the basic food groups, and try to balance out your meals.
Remember: if you’re sharing a meal with friends or family, keep six feet away while eating, and keep your mask on before and after.
Here, at Aurora Home Care we are dedicated to helping our clients maintain their independence through our in-home services!
