High blood pressure can be tricky to manage. Whether your senior takes medication or not for her high blood pressure, using a home monitor can make a huge difference in her being able to see what causes her to have both higher and lower readings. This is something a senior care aide could help her with using these tips.

Encourage Her to Take Readings at the Same Time Every Day

Senior Care Madera CA – Care Tips for Monitoring Blood Pressure of Your Senior

When you talk to your senior’s doctor about her blood pressure, find out when your senior should be measuring her blood pressure. Her doctor may want her to take her blood pressure readings multiple times per day, especially if she’s using diet and exercise to control her blood pressure. Taking readings around the same time every day helps with consistent data for your senior’s doctor to use.

Wait After Exercise, Eating, and Smoking to Test

Measuring blood pressure right after doing things like eating, exercising, and even smoking can give artificially high readings. It’s best if your elderly family member waits for at least half an hour after doing anything strenuous to take her blood pressure readings. If your senior is a smoker, her doctor may want to talk to her about serious plans for quitting.

Proper Positioning Matters

How your elderly family member sits while taking her blood pressure reading makes a difference. She needs to sit in a chair with both feet on the floor. She shouldn’t cross her legs or arms at all, as that can affect blood pressure. Short sleeves, or having her sleeve fully rolled up, can help to ensure that the reading is more accurate.

Keep Track of the Readings

It’s good to take blood pressure readings, but it’s even better to keep track of the results. You can do this easily in a small notebook. All you really need is the date, the time, and the reading itself. If there’s anything unusual going on, such as your senior feeling ill that day, you can also note that. Newer models of blood pressure monitors can store a certain number of readings, but it’s still a good idea to keep track on paper.

Assistance from a Senior Care Aide may be Needed

If your elderly family member has a tough time remembering to take her readings or finds it difficult to do on her own, it might be a good idea to have senior care providers handling that for her. They can ensure that your senior has accurate readings and that she has her other needs met, too.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care Services in Madera CA, please contact the caring staff at Everlight Home Care today. Call us at 559-353-2847.

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Gina Kendall

Gina Kendall has over 25 years of work experience serving the aging and the disabled. Her extensive experience in care and management began as a Social Services Coordinator in skilled nursing facilities. While working in this capacity, she became aware of the need for, and the importance of, good, quality, home care. Gina worked with families to keep their loved ones home and avoid a return visit to the hospital. As she continued her career of service, she began working with the disabled population helping to expand and improve their independence throughout all aspects of life.

This combination of experiences has afforded Gina a unique view of the needs of the aging and the disabled and how to best serve those needs in a home setting.

Gina’s Central Valley roots run deep. She earned her BA degree from Fresno State in 1993 and has lived and worked in Fresno for the past 20 years. In addition to raising her family in Fresno, she is actively involved in her local church and is a volunteer for various local community organizations.

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