Companion Care at Home: Have you heard that heart attacks are more common in winter for many people?

It’s actually true, and there are some solid reasons that heart issues and heart attacks are more likely to become a problem in winter. Understanding those reasons can help your Companion Care at Home Provider and your elderly family member to make better choices that allow her to protect her health.

Cold Constricts Blood Vessels

When you’re cold, you might not notice it but blood flow slows down. That’s because blood vessels constrict and blood doesn’t flow as well. That in turn can lower oxygen levels in the blood, which then affects everything, including how well your senior’s heart functions. This can actually be quite dangerous if your elderly family member already has other cardiovascular issues.

Hormonal Changes Occur in Winter

Hormone levels fluctuate all the time, but they’re also cyclical based on specific cues. One of those cues involves daylight hours, because that triggers the brain to adjust hormone levels, including cortisol. Some of these changes may make it more likely for someone to experience a heart attack, and when you add those changes to other factors, there might be a much bigger risk for some people.

People Decide to Become More Active

In a lot of ways, there’s more going on in winter than in summer. People tend to decide after the holidays that they’re finally going to lose that extra weight and get in shape. And when you factor in hormonal changes and cold restricting blood flow, increasing activity can be a bad idea. This also ties into those folks who go out to shovel their driveway and experience a heart attack. They’re putting in a lot of extra effort above and beyond the usual.

Companion Care at Home: What Can Your Senior Do?

So, is there anything your elderly family member can do? She needs to talk with her doctor about her heart attack risk and understand those risk factors. From there, she may want to offload some tasks to companion care at home. Elder care providers can handle some of the tasks that may be more effort for your senior, allowing her to rest as necessary. Her doctor may be able to give her some information about just how much she can do safely, too.

Companion care at home can also reduce stress for your senior in other ways. If she’s afraid that something might happen when she’s home alone, that just adds complications to her life that she doesn’t need.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Companion Care at Home in Wilton, CT, please contact the caring staff at Elderly Caregivers, LLC  today. (203) 628-7438

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Bernadette Applegreen

Owner at Elderly Caregivers, LLC.

Bernadette Applegreen, began her career in South Africa where she trained in nursing and began caring for the elderly right out of high school. When she came to United States in 1988, she was recertified as a licensed practical nurse and continued her work. Her 34 years of experience includes work in nursing homes, hospitals and patient’s private homes. Bernadette’s dedication and deep concern for her patients led to the creation of Elderly Caregivers. She saw how important it was for the aging population to live in their own homes for as long as possible. They functioned better, were happier and more assured in a familiar environment. In addition, Bernadette saw that home care could be less expensive than the nursing home option. Elderly Caregivers has been taking care of Seniors with an array of different diagnoses and needs. They are treated as individuals and are provided an individual care plan. It is encouraged that clients and family members participate in the process.

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