Your socioeconomic status impacts your health. While this might be a difficult connection to make at first, if you think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense. Those with less expendable income and less education tend to not have the same access to healthcare, and their health suffers as a result of this. This is something that researchers have been aware of for many years, but there is now even more evidence supporting it and how it relates to senior citizens. A recent study found that older women from a disadvantaged background were about 25 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than men from the same background. Both men and women from lower socioeconomic status were more likely to have a heart attack that those from a more affluent background.
Senior health is definitely impacted by background because of this. The elderly are already at a higher risk of cardiovascular events, and if they do not have the proper access to healthcare or practice unhealthy things throughout their lives, then the impact is going to be far greater on them as they age. This is why you hear things like “prevention is the best medicine.” The sooner health problems are addressed, the less likely they are to hurt people as they age. It is much harder to solve issues once we are older. Treatment becomes the more viable way to go, hence part of the burden that senior care professionals face.
It’s interesting to note that this same study found that there was no discernable impact between the sexes when it came to strokes. Regardless, cardiovascular disease is a major threat to health. In the United States, it kills more people each year than any other event or disease. By finding those who are most heavily hurt by heart disease and finding the root causes of that disease, medical professionals can help to improve the quality of life for many more people.
While senior care doesn’t directly impact heart health, it certainly sees the after effects. Those who have had a stroke or heart attack often need long term care because of the disabilities that can emerge afterward. Even if the care is minimal, and even if it can be provided efficiently by an in-home care professional, it is still senior care and it still has a cost associated with it. Our goal is to help make care as painless and easy as possible, but not needing care at all because of great overall health is always a better alternative.
If prevention is no longer your main focus, finding the right caregivers to assist your loved one is your next priority. A loving and supportive in-home care service can help connect your parent with the best caregiver for their situation. Even so, remember that there are still things that can be done to minimize future issues. More exercise, eating healthier, and quitting smoking can all have a quick and positive impact on health regardless of age.
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