When your senior parent has been in the hospital or has been in rehab because of a fall or other medical situation they may find that they have gained weight. Being confined to a hospital bed or being unable to do any type of exercise combined with eating hospital food or institutional food often causes seniors to gain some weight. And when seniors gain weight, even just a few pounds, it can significantly impact their health. But it can be tough for seniors to lose weight even if they aren’t recovering from an illness or medical problem. Hospital to home transition care can help seniors develop a healthy daily routine.
When a senior needs to lose weight after a hospital or rehab stay some things that they can do to make weight loss easier are:
Hospital to Home Transition Care
When seniors have hospital to home transition care they will have someone in the home with them to help them do things like get up and get dressed. They will also have someone who can shop for healthy food, cook meals, and help keep the home tidy while they are recovering. Seniors have the chance to create new healthy routines when they come home from the hospital and hospital to home transition care can help them find the best daily practices and make those practices healthy habits.
Focus On Diet
When seniors want to lose weight they need to look at their activity level and their diet. If seniors are unable to do much activity because of their medical issues then they need to make sure that they are following a healthy diet. Seniors should be eating a diet that has enough calories to keep them healthy but not too many. Seniors who are in recovery should be eating lots of fresh vegetables and some lean protein. Cutting back on processed carbs like bread, pasta, and rice can help seniors lose weight without going on a fad diet. A sensible diet consisting mostly of vegetables is the best diet for seniors who want to lose weight.
Move As Much As Possible
Seniors do have a challenge trying to lose weight while they are recovering from a medical event or illness. But any movement can help, and seniors should be moving as much as possible. Even just getting up a few times each day to walk to the bathroom and back or walk around the house can help. Seniors can also do yoga and Pilates exercises that can be done in bed or seated in a chair to help improve muscle mass and burn calories without strenuous exercise.
Commit To Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Seniors may just need to accept that they will be overweight for a little while. And that’s ok. Healthy weight loss is slow and steady. As long as seniors are committed to making healthy lifestyle choices and they focus on staying healthy they will start to lose weight and they will steadily get back down to a healthy weight.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Hospital to Home Transition Services in Marion OH, please get in touch with the caring staff at Central Star Home Health today. Call 419-756-9449
Central Star Home Health is a Trusted Home Care Agency in Ohio including Ashland, Bellville, Bucyrus, Crestline, Galion, Lexington, Mansfield, Marion, Mt. Vernon, Ontario, Shelby, and Willard.
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