Home Care: Helping Seniors Improve Their Grip Strength
Most people don’t think twice about shaking hands firmly, turning the front door key, or opening a jar of pickles. But for seniors, these simple jobs can become difficult as their grip strength naturally decreases with age. Grip strength is important for more than just these everyday things. It’s also important for staying independent and having a good quality of life in general. This blog post will talk about how important grip strength is for adults as they get older and look at different ways that the home care team and seniors can work to improve it.
Why Is Grip Strength Important?
Grip strength is an important part of physical health, and as people get older, it becomes even more important. Consider the following to understand its significance:
Maintaining Independence: Seniors who have a strong grip can do daily tasks like cooking, brushing, dressing, and grooming themselves without help. It makes their lives better and helps them be independent.
Avoiding Falls: Having good grip strength is a big part of staying balanced and stable, as it can help seniors stay on their feet when reaching out for help.
Better Bone Health: Doing workouts that strengthen their grip can also make their bones denser, which lowers their risk of osteoporosis and breaks as they get older. The home care team can encourage seniors to practice these types of exercises and ensure they’re using the right form.
Better Brain Function: Studies have found a link between older people’s grip strength and their brain function. It is thought that people with better memory and thinking skills also have stronger grips.
Heart Health: It may come as a surprise, but grip strength is also linked to heart health. Stronger grips in older people are linked to lower rates of heart disease and a lower chance of stroke.
How Can Grip Strength Be Increased?
The good news is that it’s easy to work on grip strength, especially with the support of home care and loved ones. Consistent support will keep seniors motivated to follow the following tips and help them see the progress that comes with consistency.
Hand Movements: Seniors should make it a habit to do hand movements every day. They can make their grip stronger by squeezing a stress ball, using handgrips, or even just playing cards.
Training with Resistance: Resistance training routines can also be beneficial as they increase the strength of the hand and forearm muscles. The home care team can help seniors create a list of resistance exercises that meet their needs.
Yoga and Tai Chi: Both yoga and Tai Chi work on core strength, flexibility, and balance, all of which are important for keeping the hands strong.
Food and Nutrition: It’s important for seniors to get enough calcium, vitamin D, and protein because they are good for their bones and muscles.
Grip strength is an important part of senior health that is often ignored, but it is very important for staying independent and being healthy overall. With the right support and consistent work, seniors can improve their grip strength and live better lives.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Northbrook, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.
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