Focus on elderly health care

Taking care of the health of the elderly is always a matter of concern, especially during holidays and Tet because during this time, the elderly often neglect to follow a regular diet and take medication; the weather also changes erratically... These things put the elderly at risk of worsening their medical conditions.

On Tet 2024, the whole family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Bang (Hoang Mai district, Hanoi ) was shocked when her father fell into a state of difficulty breathing and respiratory failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The weather was cold and they did not turn on the air conditioner to keep the air warm, so the whole family had to take turns spending Tet in the hospital to take care of the old man.

This year, the air index in the north has also continuously warned of bad conditions at a dangerous level, which is very unfavorable for people with respiratory diseases.

Mr. Tran Van Ninh (Thuong Tin district, Hanoi) said that his father has had diabetes for 15 years and every time Tet approaches, the family pays close attention to his diet. However, recently, his grandson came back from studying abroad for Tet holiday, so he happily ate and drank, sometimes even forgetting to take his medicine on time. As a result, he had to be hospitalized because his blood sugar level was very high.

Tet is a time when the health of the elderly needs special attention from their families because many objective and subjective factors work together, increasing the risk of worsening diseases, especially for people with many underlying diseases.

According to the report on air quality developments of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment , recently, air pollution in Hanoi has tended to increase, at times the air quality index (AQI value) has reached a bad level.

Soon after, the weather turned cold, the large difference in day and night temperatures caused the resistance of the elderly and sick people to decline. Viruses, molds, etc. thrived during the changing weather, causing respiratory diseases, which were very dangerous for people with chronic respiratory diseases.

Dr. Truong Hong Son, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine (Vietnam Medical Association), said that the experience for the elderly to celebrate Tet safely that families need to pay attention to is to pay attention to their diet: Control food portions; limit alcohol; do light exercise to aid digestion...

The elderly should not be too restrictive but need to supplement adequate nutrients: Protein, fat, starch, vitamins, minerals, fiber...; limit eating foods of animal origin that contain a lot of cholesterol (fatty meat, fat, butter, animal organs...); limit fried foods, because high temperatures can destroy unsaturated fatty acids.

In addition, when preparing traditional Tet dishes, family members can consider adding less salt, less fish sauce or soy sauce. Limiting salty foods will help improve heart disease and blood pressure significantly. For foods high in sugar such as cakes, candies, sweet jams, soft drinks, dishes with added sugar, etc., the elderly need to limit and control their intake to avoid high blood sugar in people with diabetes.

Specialist Doctor Dinh Tran Ngoc Mai, Department of Nutrition - Dietetics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City emphasized: The elderly often suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, digestive diseases, etc., so to avoid serious recurrence of the disease during Tet, everyone should avoid forcing the elderly to drink alcohol because it affects their health, especially those with high blood pressure, diabetes, stomach diseases, etc. Besides, the elderly often have the habit of saving leftover food, reheating food many times is not safe for health, easily causing food poisoning. Not to mention that Listeria is a type of bacteria found in smoked fish, sterilized cheese/yogurt, ice cream, pate, sausages and cold cuts that survive at low temperatures. This bacteria often causes digestive disorders, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, etc.

Specialist I Dinh Tran Ngoc Mai recommends that to properly preserve leftover food, it is necessary to quickly cool perishable foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, do not leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours; do not put hot food in the refrigerator. Note that food must be stored in a covered container or wrapped in plastic to ensure the taste and quality of the food. When reheating food, make sure the leftover food is boiled. If reheating in a microwave, remember to mix or stir the food while reheating so that the temperature is evenly distributed.

To enjoy the spring and welcome Tet, in addition to the elderly proactively monitoring their health and following a daily schedule, exercising, and taking medicine regularly, family members also need to regularly support and remind their grandparents and parents.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/chu-trong-cham-soc-suc-khoe-nguoi-cao-tuoi-post857789.html