Monitor Your Senior’s Caffeine Intake with Home Care
Caring for your senior can feel like a lot to juggle, especially when you don’t rely on part-time home care help. As your loved one gets older, they have to watch what they eat more than ever. But the same is true about what drinks they consume. Too much juice can be bad and too much caffeine can be dangerous for your loved one. How can you help them watch what they consume?
Your best bet is to hire a part-time or full-time home care provider to record how much they drink and eat. This is one of the best ways to limit caffeine and sugar consumption.
Can Seniors Drink Caffeine at All?
Most of the time, a senior can drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day, and it’s well tolerated. At very low levels, caffeine can’t hurt a senior, but it is best to keep it on the low side. Home care can help seniors remember how many cups they’ve had in the morning and even help them switch to herbal tea throughout the day.
Avoiding drinking can be harmful. A senior should always try to stay hydrated, even during the winter. They may not want to drink an ice-cold glass of water, but hot tea and coffee can be a good way to get some fluids in them every day. The best thing about loving coffee is that a senior can always switch to decaf if necessary.
How Much is Too Much for a Senior?
You know your senior loved one doesn’t have to give up all coffee; that’s great news! But how much is too much for a senior? Anything over four cups of coffee a day can seriously impact a senior’s health. Sticking below four cups can seriously save a senior’s life.
Caffeine is safe for seniors in moderation, but more than four cups a day might cause agitation, insomnia, and rapid heart rate. Caffeine may overstimulate the neurological system, causing irritability, nausea, and trouble sleeping, especially in the elderly. All of these things are symptoms that most older adults wish to avoid.
What is National Caffeine Month?
National Caffeine Month was made to remind us that too much caffeine in a fifth cup of coffee may increase negative side effects. A low amount of caffeine has potential health benefits for most of us; you need to remember that too much of anything is bad for you.
Coffee can be a tough habit to break, especially for a senior. Often you will have seen your mom and dad wake up every morning for years and brew a giant pot. This may have once been normal and even okay for them, but it isn’t anymore. Seniors need to be careful about what they consume, and home care can help them become more mindful about what’s going inside of their bodies.
National Caffeine Month is a chance to talk to your seniors about their caffeine consumption and look at everything they may be eating and drinking that adds to their total amount. Often you will find chocolates, teas, soda, and energy drinks with tons of caffeine in them. Monitor when your senior drinks these and help them lower their overall intake.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Moorseville, NC, contact the caring professionals at TenderHearted Home Care today. Call us at (704) 612-4132
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