Eating a healthy diet is vital throughout life. It becomes increasingly important as adults age and enter their senior years. The practice of focusing on nutrition and choosing a healthy diet continues to play a role both in maintaining health as well as helping to reduce the impact of several chronic health conditions.

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At Capital City Nurses, we provide senior care throughout the Alexandria, VA, area. As one part of our home care solutions, our trained home caregivers work with seniors and their families to help develop a delicious, nutritious, and healthy diet to help address the management of chronic health issues in the senior population.

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Chronic Health Conditions

Our customized senior care services are ideal for helping families and our elderly patients manage several chronic health conditions. Some ofthe most common health issues facing seniors include:

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• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Coronary heart disease
• Diabetes
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• High cholesterol
• Chronic kidney disease
• Depression
• Dementia and Alzheimer's disease
• Arthritis

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Treatment of these conditions typically includes the need for medication management for seniors combined with balanced nutrition, quality sleep, and routine exercise and mental activities.

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Specialized, Balanced Diet

As part of our senior care services, we provide a personalized, tailored diet to help support each of our clients. These customized diets include a selection of meals and food choices that promote balanced nutrition and encourage seniors to become educated about making healthy food choices.

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Choosing a balanced diet that includes foods from all food groups while reducing sodium and sugar intake is essential to avoid weight gain, which can add to the challenges of chronic health issues. Diets that are low-sodium, high fiber, and reduce the consumption of highly processed foods help with the chronic health issues listed above. Specialized diets can also help with chronic health conditions, including managing diabetes and reducing chronic inflammation that can impact both physical health and senior mental health.

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Meal Planning and Medications

Included in our home health care services in Alexandria, VA, is help for seniors in shopping, meal preparation, and choosing healthy recipe sand cooking styles. We work with seniors and their families to create options for vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and even healthy treats to enjoy throughout the day.

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Our focus is on education, ensuring seniors understand portion control and how to create a balanced meal. Simple strategies such as dividing the plate into half for vegetables and fruits, a quarter for lean proteins, and a quarter for whole grains are effective.  

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As part of our senior care wellness services, we also provide medication management for seniors. This includes reviewing medications to ensure no interactions between prescriptions and food items. Home care assistance in this area is vital to avoid accidental combinations of food and medications that can cause serious interactions.

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Hydration and Supplements

The Capital City Nurses senior care companion works with the seniors to ensure they are staying hydrated. Hydration is important for proper digestion and metabolic function. In addition, some medications can cause dehydration, and our team of home healthcare providers will evaluate and monitor this for your senior's health.

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Our home care services team will also review any supplements the senior is taking. Additional vitamins and minerals can be beneficial and ensure the senior is consuming the recommended daily dose.

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Options and Resources

As your home healthcare agency, we also work with seniors and families to find resources in the community. This may include exploring meal delivery services, taking advantage of local nutrition programs, or evaluating specialized diets for various health conditions.

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We also encourage seniors and families to reach out to registered dietitians or healthcare providers to determine the best diet for their unique health issues.

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Healthy dietary choices and living a healthy lifestyle are instrumental in the management of chronic health conditions. Let our senior companion care services help your loved one in Alexandria, VA. For more information, call us today at 866-807-7307.