During American Heart Month this February, it might be a good time to talk to your senior about measuring and then managing your senior’s blood pressure levels. Keeping up with those numbers can be an incredibly important part of ensuring that your senior’s overall heart health is as good as possible. Talk with your senior’s doctor about what her blood pressure levels should be, so that she has that baseline information. Home care aides can assist your senior in ways the will benefit her health.
Why Blood Pressure Monitoring Is Important
High blood pressure is a “silent” condition, meaning that there often aren’t a lot of symptoms that help someone to notice when their blood pressure is getting too high. By measuring the actual blood pressure readings, your senior can have a record of what’s working and what isn’t in order to keep her blood pressure under better control. Those readings can also help your senior’s doctor to tailor her treatment plan.
Where Can Your Senior Get Her Blood Pressure Checked?
Your senior can get her blood pressure checked during medical appointments, like with her doctor or in the hospital. She can also get her blood pressure checked anywhere that has a standalone blood pressure station. Those choices can be complicated for daily readings, however. The easiest way to keep a daily check on her blood pressure is to use a home monitor herself.
Several Factors Impact Blood Pressure Readings
It’s important to understand what can affect a blood pressure reading, though, especially if your senior is checking her own blood pressure at home. Smoking, drinking alcohol, drinking caffeine, or being active within at least half an hour of testing her blood pressure can skew the reading. Also, sitting with legs or arms crossed can give inaccurate readings. Finally, if your senior is nervous about the number she’ll see, that can increase her blood pressure.
Measuring Blood Pressure at Home with Help from Home Care Providers
Sitting comfortably according to the directions that come with the monitor helps your senior to set herself up for success if she’s testing at home. Having help from home care providers can make the job even easier. Home care providers can make sure that your senior is seated properly and then help her to log the results.
Making changes to improve blood pressure results isn’t always an easy thing to do. Home care providers can simplify a lot of the process for your senior, helping her to stick to her goals when it comes to improving her blood pressure and therefore her health.