As you start caring for your loved one while they age in place you will start to focus more on their health. This can seem like a huge challenge especially when you aren’t an expert in senior health! That is okay and the longer you care for your senior mom or dad, even if you have outside help from in-home care, you will undoubtedly run across the same terms. One thing you will hear a doctor talk a lot about is blood oxygen levels. Here is everything you and in-home care need to know about blood oxygen and what it means for senior health.

What is Blood Oxygen?

In your body you have blood but in the blood, there is a certain amount of oxygen. The amount each cell carries is known as your blood oxygen level. No matter what age you are, a doctor will look at your blood oxygen levels. It is measured by using a pulse oximeter while at the doctor getting a checkup.

Why is Blood Oxygen Important for Seniors?

The truth is no matter what age you are if your oxygen levels are too low in your blood you may need medical attention. Unfortunately, the older you get the worse certain side effects can become. If a senior has super low blood oxygen levels it could be deadly. They will need immediate medical attention. However, there may be some things you can do to help boost blood oxygen levels naturally. But keep in mind if these levels are too low you never want to avoid seeing a doctor.

Encourage Walking

Being outside is good for numerous reasons, but going on walks outside can have the best health benefits. If you are trying to find ways to boost your loved one’s blood oxygen levels, this is the easiest way to do it. In-home care may even help a senior create a routine where they take short 15-minute walks twice a day to get outside and boost blood flow and the amount of oxygen they receive. If you are worried about your mom or dad walking alone, ask if in-home care can go with them. This is a good chance for in-home care to monitor your loved one while on a walk.

Let in Fresh Air

Not all seniors can move around. They should be trying to but on days when it hurts to move, they can still open a window. Letting in fresh air, especially after a long winter can truly help improve the home’s air quality but also become a natural way to boost blood oxygen levels.

Bring in Plants

Believe it or not, when we exhale we breathe out c02 which is what plants breathe in to survive, in return, plants give us amazingly fresh oxygen. If your loved one has a green thumb, encourage them to bring in more houseplants. They will add beauty and fresh air to a senior’s home.

Stay Hydrated

Although water doesn’t directly impact the amount of oxygen in your blood it does help the blood circulate better. When a senior is hydrated, their lungs work much better to push the oxygen around their bodies!

If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care in Philadelphia, PA, please contact the caring staff at Better Care Home Health Services today at (267) 766-5218

Better Care Home Health Services is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Philadelphia, Germantown, Glenside, Elkins Park, Bryn Mawr, Roxborough, Wyncote, Broomall, Upper Darby, Yeadon, Lansdowne, Narberth, Wynnewood, Penn Wynne, Fairmount, Ardmore, Chestnut Hill, and the surrounding areas.

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Abiba Namen

Administrator at Better Care Home Health Services, LLC

Abiba Namen is the Administrator at Better Care Home Health Services, LLC.

Better Care Home Health Services is a family-owned agency dedicated to providing excellent and comprehensive home health care to individuals and families of Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks counties. We are honored that God has blessed us with the opportunity to positively impact and change people’s lives. It is our mission to ensure that we provide the very best of care to our clients.

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