Staying active is a key part of overall health, even when circumstances make it hard for your senior to leave the house. Whether she’s immune-compromised, the weather isn’t cooperating, or cognitive issues like dementia make outdoor activities challenging, home care providers can play an essential role in helping her stay engaged and active.
When these situations arise, keeping your elderly loved one active indoors may seem difficult, but it’s not impossible. Some simple activities require minimal space and no extra equipment, making them a great solution for incorporating movement into her daily routine. (Always consult your loved one’s primary physician to ensure these activities are safe for her within a home care setting.)
How Activity Boosts Your Loved One’s Health
According to some studies, even short 2-minute bursts of activity can significantly reduce your loved one’s risk of heart disease and cancer. The key is spending less time sitting and more time moving around, which can easily be incorporated into a home care routine.
Staying active is not just good for the body—it’s great for the brain too. Physical activity increases blood flow, delivering more nutrients to the entire body, including the brain. Even simple exercises at home can keep the brain engaged, whether it’s planning movements or counting reps during an activity.
Home care support can also encourage regular activity, which boosts mood, enhances well-being, and helps your loved one sleep better by reducing stress. With the right home care plan, integrating movement into daily life becomes easier and more beneficial.
Four Activities for Your Elderly Loved One to Try at Home
As mentioned earlier, always check with your loved one’s doctor before starting any regular activity. However, many seniors in home care services can enjoy safe activities that don’t require training or special equipment, such as:
- Dancing: It doesn’t have to be swing dancing or ballet; just moving the feet and swaying the body to some music helps build coordination and core strength.
- Climbing Stairs: Have your loved one go up and down a set of stairs for five minutes a couple of times a day to build leg muscles.
- Balance Exercises: Practicing balance exercises while watching TV. Stand on one foot or do toe taps to reduce the risk of falls.
- Stretching: Standing up and stretching regularly can help blood flow and reduce pain and stiffness.
Home Care Providers Can Help with Being Active
If your loved one is home alone most of the day or if you need a break from all of the different caregiving you provide, consider having a home care provider visit your elderly loved one to encourage her to participate in some physical activity at home. While not a licensed medical professional, a home care worker can still dance with your loved one in the living room, help your loved one go up and down the stairs for exercise, or be a partner in a fun game of Wii Sports (an indoor sporting game system when you use your body to guide the sport you are playing on the screen).
Sometimes the key to activity is taking that first step away from the chair or couch and moving around a little bit, and it’s always more fun when your elderly loved one has someone to join her, like a caring home care provider.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Home Care in Arlington, VA, please contact the caring staff at Cardinal Home Care today! (703) 934-4610
Cardinal Home Care provides exceptional home care services in Arlington, Alexandria, Leesburg, Reston, Herndon, Manassas, Ashburn, Falls Church, McLean, Fairfax, Virginia, and the surrounding communities.
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Cardinal Home Care launched in 2019, with the purpose of providing quality non-medical home care to seniors wishing to remain in the comfort of their homes.
Cardinal Home Care provides exceptional home care services in Arlington, Alexandria, Leesburg, Reston, Herndon, Manassas, Ashburn, Falls Church, McLean, Fairfax Virginia and the surrounding communities.
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