In the context of an aging population, caring for and protecting the health of the elderly has become one of the top priorities of modern society. In particular, high blood pressure is one of the most common and dangerous health problems in the elderly. This is a “silent killer” because it has few obvious symptoms but can lead to serious complications such as stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and chronic kidney disease.
To effectively control this disease, in addition to taking medication as directed by the doctor, the role of the family (especially children and grandchildren) is considered a leading factor. The family is not only the place where the elderly live, but also a spiritual support, a companion in every meal and sleep, a decisive factor in the effectiveness of controlling and preventing high blood pressure.
Below are 6 positive influences of the family, including:
1. Family helps build and maintain a healthy lifestyle
One of the main causes of high blood pressure in the elderly is due to unscientific living habits, such as eating salty foods, lack of exercise, smoking, drinking alcohol, or irregular sleep. Meanwhile, the elderly often find it difficult to change their habits on their own, because they have been used to a fixed lifestyle for many years.
Family is the most positive force to help grandparents and parents change little by little.
Family can:
- Work with grandparents to build a diet low in salt, low in fat, and high in vegetables and fruits.
- Remind and accompany grandparents to do light exercise every day such as walking, practicing yoga.
- Help grandparents stay away from stimulants such as cigarettes and alcohol, by not smoking in the house or encouraging gradual withdrawal.
- Create conditions for you to get enough sleep, live in a quiet, comfortable environment.
A healthy lifestyle is a natural remedy that helps the elderly maintain stable blood pressure without depending entirely on medication.
2. Family helps maintain regular and proper medication use
In the elderly, forgetting to take medication, taking the wrong dose, or stopping medication on your own is very common. This greatly affects blood pressure control, which can lead to sudden and dangerous increases in blood pressure.
Family members can:
- Remind you of daily medication times, using a pill box or phone alarm.
- Monitor the dosage, making sure you take the correct medication prescribed by your doctor.
- Accompany you to regular check-ups, bringing your blood pressure monitoring book or medication you are taking.
- Consult your doctor again if there are any unusual signs, do not let you handle it yourself.
Taking the right and adequate medication is one of the key factors to maintain stable blood pressure in the long term.
3. Family is a great source of spiritual encouragement
Mental factors greatly affect blood pressure. The elderly often feel lonely, sad, easily stressed, and these negative emotions can cause blood pressure to suddenly increase. Therefore, family is a valuable spiritual medicine that cannot be replaced by anything.
When the elderly live in love, have someone to listen and share with, they will:
- Feel secure, reduce anxiety, thereby stabilizing blood pressure.
- Maintain a happy, optimistic spirit, supporting the treatment process well.
- Do not feel abandoned or become a burden, which is very important for the elderly.
Simple actions such as chatting every day, eating together, taking grandparents for a walk, are enough to help the elderly have a more positive and steadfast mentality in the face of illness.
4. Family helps monitor and detect complications early
High blood pressure, if not well controlled, will lead to dangerous complications. Family is the closest person, can closely monitor changes in your daily health.
Specifically:
- When you see your grandparent having an unusual headache, dizziness, chest pain, fatigue, you can immediately recognize that it is a sign of high blood pressure or complications.
- Help measure blood pressure at home regularly, record the indicators to notify the doctor.
- Take you to the emergency room promptly when there are signs of stroke or accident, thereby limiting the consequences.
The role of family supervisors helps to promptly handle and protect the lives of the elderly.
5. Family shapes health care habits and responsibilities
In many families, if children and grandchildren care about their health, the elderly will tend to be more proactive in taking care of themselves. On the contrary, if children and grandchildren are indifferent, the elderly will easily give up and lose motivation to take care of their health.
Families can:
- Proactively buy a home blood pressure monitor.
- Go to the hospital with grandparents for regular check-ups.
- Regularly update knowledge about blood pressure from doctors or books and newspapers.
- Organize healthy cooking sessions, family exercises, and physical competitions, etc.
All of these things not only help the elderly control their blood pressure but also contribute to building a healthy living culture for the whole family, creating long-term positive effects.
6. Family helps maintain social connections
In addition to taking care of physical and health conditions, family also helps grandparents maintain relationships with friends, neighbors, and the community, which is very important for the elderly to feel happy and useful.
Families can:
- Take grandparents to join senior clubs and retirement associations.
- Create conditions for grandparents to meet old friends and relatives, and travel lightly.
- Encourage grandparents to share life experiences, teach grandchildren, take care of the garden, etc.
This connection is not only fun but also an effective psychological medicine in preventing and controlling high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a disease that cannot be completely cured but can be well controlled if the patient lives in a positive environment and has the right support. Of all the influencing factors, family is the most important and sustainable factor that helps the elderly maintain stable blood pressure and prevent dangerous complications. Love, companionship and sharing from family are not only valuable spiritually but also a solid foundation for the long-term health of the elderly. Let’s start from the smallest things to turn the family into a solid shield for the health of our grandparents and parents.
