February 4, 2025
February is American Heart Month, a great time to focus on helping your residents stay healthy. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among men and women, and the risk for heart disease increases as we age. But there are preventative measures that can reduce risks and keep seniors heart healthy!
Encourage Regular Checkups
One of the most important ways you can help your residents reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease is to encourage them to have regular checkups. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes can have a negative impact on heart health, so it is important to understand the risks and the steps that can be taken to lower them. Regular checkups also detect issues early, like irregular heartbeats or heart murmurs, so they can be checked by a heart specialist and treated before they lead to more serious conditions.
Provide Healthy Food Options
Diet plays a very important role in heart health, so providing healthy food options is critical. While some foods can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing diabetes, others, like salt and processed foods, can increase it. Dieticians and health experts recommended that your meals and snacks should include:
- A wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
- Healthy fats like fish, nuts and seeds and olive oil
- High fiber foods like beans and whole grains
- Lean protein like chicken and turkey
- Limited amounts of alcohol and processed foods with high sugar and sodium content
Offer a Variety of Exercise Options
In addition to a healthy diet, physical activity and stress reduction are also critical to improving overall well-being and reducing cardiovascular risks. Providing exercise classes like yoga and strength training and forming walking groups or pickleball teams can help your residents stay active physically and mentally. Exercise not only improves heart health, it also reduces stress and gives residents an opportunity to socialize.
Aegis Therapies Helps You Support Your Residents’ Well-Being
While we know exercise has many benefits for the heart and mind, if your residents are injured or if they have mobility issues, they will miss out on the opportunity to fully participate. Aegis Therapies rehabilitation therapy services help your residents recover from injuries or illnesses, build strength, and improve balance and coordination so they can reap the rewards of exercise.
We also offer the EnerG™ by Aegis wellness program that takes a holistic approach to physical and mental health, providing innovation activities that enhance happiness and help your residents thrive. These programs also help you increase resident satisfaction and differentiate yourself from other communities. In fact, 92% of participants report that the EnerG™ by Aegis wellness programs make them “more” or “much more” satisfied with their overall care setting.
Learn more about how we can work together to keep your residents active and heart healthy! https://aegistherapies.com/about-us/