February is American Heart Month, with the theme “Live to Beat.”. It’s a time when various organizations encourage individuals to focus on cardiovascular health. At AmeriBest in home health care Harrisburg PA, we have seen firsthand the toll a heart attack can take on a person and their family during our work. Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. To put it in perspective, one person dies every 34 seconds from cardiovascular disease. In 2020, this equated to nearly 700,000 individuals.
The caregivers at AmeriBest have been trained to recognize the signs of a stroke or heart attack. They observe closely, especially with people who have hypertension, which is a contributing cause of cardiovascular problems.
Heart Health
It’s not as hard as you might think to deter your risks of cardiovascular disease. The first step is understanding your risks by talking to your physician. Taking preventative measures matters.
What are these measures? Main boil down to ongoing self-care. Here are a few:
Eating Healthy. Keep salt and saturated fat to a minimum. It’s ok to cheat. Just remain aware of what you’re consuming. AmeriBest’s Aides can prepare nutritional meals for your loved one.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep. Practice sleep hygiene. Shoot for 7-8 hours a night. Create a daily ritual for yourself for the time you get up and the time you go to bed. Don’t nap too much.
Move it! Endeavor to get about 2 ½ hours of activity weekly. If that sounds like a lot, it equates to only 13 minutes daily over 7 days. Focus on low-impact cardio exercises that increase your heart rate. Walking, yoga, swimming, and cycling are examples. These types of exercise have minimal impact on joints.
Reduce Stress: For example, say your loved one knows a person who really rattles their cage. Limit how much time they spend with said individual. Activity (ah, ha #3) helps decrease anxiety, as can laughter, yoga (yes, it’s true), meditation, socialization, journaling, and keeping up with your personal hobbies. All these things provide mental distraction.
Know your numbers, specifically your blood pressure which is now easy thanks to home cuffs. If you cannot coordinate the cuff, ask the AmeriBest aide to help you.
If practicable, remain an active participant in your health. If you have questions, ask them, and insist on answers. You are your own best advocate.
Socialize: An in-home caregiver from a home health care agency like AmeriBest has trained personnel who take an interest in your loved one’s favorite activities. Studies show having interaction offsets depression, too.
Hiring a Home Health Care in Harrisburg, PA
When you reach the point when you know you can’t go it alone as the primary caregiver to your loved one, it’s time to consider professional aides. Whether or not your loved one has cardiovascular problems, seeking in-home assistance comes with many questions. The professionals at AmeriBest are here to answer them and provide the necessary information you will need going forward.
Reach out to us:
Online https://www.ameribesthomecare.com/contact-us/
Telephone: (717) 545-2920
Email: info@ameribest.org
