Whether you are transitioning home from a hospital stay or choosing to stay indoors during the challenges of winter weather, maintaining a healthy lifestyle while at home is important for a fulfilling and comfortable life.
As a leading home health care agency, we understand the importance of fostering wellness within the home environment. Below are some ways to ensure you stay healthy at home this winter and beyond. Always consult with your medical team before making significant changes to your diet or exercise.
Prioritize Nutrition
Maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet while you are at home is essential for your overall well-being. Incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins into your meals is important for a balanced diet. Please consult with your medical team on the best options for your needs. Here are some options to help prioritize nutrition:
- Plan your weekly meals
- Consume smaller portions
- Avoid processed foods
- Keep healthy snacks readily available
Stay Hydrated
Hydration is fundamental for overall health and well-being. Ensuring you drink plenty of water throughout the day supports optimal digestion, metabolism, and bodily functions. Here are some hydration tips for your daily routine:
- Keep a full water bottle nearby
- Set reminders to drink water
- Monitor your caffeine and alcohol intake
Regular Physical Activity
Integrating regular exercise into your routine is crucial for maintaining a healthy lifestyle at home, even when faced with challenges like recovery from illness or injury. Staying active promotes cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and improved flexibility. Simple, yet effective activities include:
- Walking
- Chair exercises
- Yoga or stretching
Stress Management
Chronic stress can negatively impact your physical and mental well-being, so it’s essential to adapt healthy coping mechanisms while indoors. Embracing stress management techniques for a healthier and happier life include:
- Deep breathing
- Meditation
- Journaling
Quality Sleep
Recognize the important role quality sleep plays in your overall health. Aim for 7-9 hours per night, as deep sleep rejuvenates the mind and contributes to heart health, weight management, and cognitive function. Improve your sleep habits with:
- Consistent bedtime routines
- Dark, quiet, and cool bedroom environments
- Removal of electronic devices from the bedroom
- Avoidance of large meals before bedtime
By incorporating these effective habits into your daily routine, you can establish a foundation for a healthy and fulfilling life within the comfort of your home. At Residential Home Health & Hospice, we are dedicated to supporting you in achieving your health goals and providing the quality health care you deserve in the comfort of your home.
When adults teach children about manners, they might remind them to say ‘please’ by prompting, ‘What’s the magic word?’ This is our introduction to ‘please’ — as the gateway to getting anything we want, whenever we want it. But by the time we reach adulthood and better understand politeness, the word loses a bit of its luster, no longer a mystical source of instant gratification.
For aging adults who live independently, adjusting their home environment for reasons of safety or accessibility can feel like an admission of defeat. However, putting off such improvements exposes aging individuals to greater risk of even more serious injuries — the kind that threaten the very self-sufficiency they are protecting. Rather than ignoring the changing needs and capabilities that often come with age, the best way to preserve independence and continue aging in place is to welcome these alterations as a way to stay safely at home.
Florence Nightingale once wrote that a small pet is ‘an excellent companion for the sick, for long chronic cases especially.’ The emerging field of pet therapy aims to capitalize on this positivity, enhancing recovery and promoting well-being. Patricia Petroulias, Residential Hospice’s director of education as well as an assistant professor at Oakland University, has initiated pet therapy as part of Residential Hospice’s available patient services. The pet therapy program connects hospice patients with volunteers and certified therapy dogs for comforting, furry encounters.
Though hydration is important for healthy living at any age, seniors are at greater risk of dehydration due to physical and physiological changes that occur during the natural aging process. With potentially dangerous symptoms of dehydration like disorientation, constipation, and low blood pressure, it is important to keep your loved one hydrated.