Bad cholesterol, otherwise known as LDL, is a significant factor when it comes to heart health. In fact, those individuals who have had a stroke or a heart attack can take big strides toward preventing a second episode of this sort by monitoring and regulating their levels.
Keeping an eye on LDL levels is fairly simple–it just involves a blood test. But even after a heart attack, many people skip follow up testing because it is inconvenient. It’s important to remember that going to the doctor’s is hardly ever convenient. And as we age, it becomes harder and harder to maintain a regular schedule of this sort.
That does not mean that this is an unimportant part of staying healthy. The harder it becomes to get into the doctor’s might even be an indicator that more medical help is needed. As a family member, you have a responsibility to help your mom or dad with their appointments. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you drive them to and from every single appointment, but you need to be making sure that they are getting their regular checkups taken care of, and following up with specialists or other appointments if needed.
Studies have shown that keeping an eye on LDL levels through regular checkups can go a long way toward helping those at risk of heart disease stay healthier. As a brief descriptor of this, people who did not have their LDL levels monitored after a heart attack or other event had a 21 percent chance of mortality within three years of their first episode. If these levels were monitored and controlled, that risk level dropped down to just 5.9 percent. This really emphasizes the importance of regular checkups for elderly folk that are at risk. If you have a loved one that fits in this category, you need to take note of this.
Having an in-home care team on your side can help. A lot of what a caregiver does involves helping out with day to day activities, and while an appointment might not occur every day, they are common occurrences. If transportation is a concern of yours, then this is one of the questions that you should ask very early in the process of finding senior care for your parent. Some caregivers provide transportation, and some don’t. Knowing who does and does not before you hire them will eliminate any surprise later on.
If transportation is important to you, then finding a caregiver service that provides this should be a top priority. Going through a service is important because most individual caregivers do not have the proper outside insurance to protect your loved one and the caregiver supervising them. When “extras” like transportation to appointments are added in, this safeguard becomes important. It’s not something you will ever want to u se, but if needed, it’s far better to have insurance in place than to not have it. When interviewing senior care services, be sure to not just ask about transportation, but also whether caregivers are covered by insurance, too.
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