2. Physical and Mental Health
Topic 6 of 6
Staying happy, healthy and hydrated
There is a lot of information available on how to be healthy, what to eat, diets, exercise, and so on. This module cannot provide you the ‘rules’ because every situation is different. We focus on what we can do to support our elders and ourselves to stay happy, healthy, and hydrated.
Select the headings to find out more.
These include:
- a decrease in falls
- management of medication
- improved nutrition and hydration.
Remember to let your elder do the talking and don’t forget your notebook. Use a checklist like the one in the Resources menu that includes both yours and your elders list.
Lastly, asking about and getting medications reviewed is important and your pharmacist is the guru. Check out the questions in the Resources menu on anti-depressants.
For more information on medication management select the following links:
- Health direct – Home medicines review
- NPS Medicinewise – Managing your medicines
Drinking (being hydrated) is crucial for your elder’s health and wellbeing. See the list of tips in this module and use whatever works. Remember that dehydration can cause serious harm and can lead to falls.
For more information on supporting your elder to stay hydrated select these links:
- Safer Senior Care – 19 Ways to Get an Elderly Person to Drink Water!
- Aged Care Guide – Hydration for elderly people and the dangers of dehydration
- National Council on Aging (NCOA) – How to Stay Hydrated for Better Health
- Senior Safety Advice – How To Get An Elderly Person To Drink Water.
Allied Health professionals can be as crucial as a great GP in preventing falls and staying healthy.
If you are supporting you elder in hospital, call Care2serve for a copy of the Carer’s Hospital Handbook – it’s free.
For more information on hearing and accessibility products select the following links:
- Hearing Australia – Hearing Loss
- Telstra – Accessibility products and services.
Lessons from the Blue Zones:
- surround your elder and yourself with family and community
- call Carer Gateway to join the community of carers
- stay active
- explore what your elder loves to do that means something to them
- give yourself some gratitude and reflect on the positive impact you have in the life of the person you care for.
Lessons from the Blue Zones:
- surround your elder and yourself with family and community
- call Carer Gateway to join the community of carers
- stay active
- explore what your elder loves to do that means something to them
- give yourself some gratitude and reflect on the positive impact you have in the life of the person you care for.
The pursuit of happiness
We have come to the end of ‘Physical and Mental Health’.
Select ‘Play’ to view Jean’s final message.
We hope this module has provided you with useful information on how to access the people and services that will enable your elder to stay as healthy and happy as possible. Gathering this team and putting these services in place can also give you the help you need to make your life as stress-free as possible.
Coordinating this team takes organisation, and the Carer Gateway guide can provide an excellent framework to help you manage all the different people who will be an important part of your and your elder’s lives. The team will become more numerous as the needs of the person you care for increase, so please start gathering this team as soon as possible.
This team will not only support them; it will support you.
Module 2
Resources
MODULE 2
