Not counting skin cancer, lung cancer is the second-most common cancer diagnosed among both men and women. The majority of people who are diagnosed with this cancer are aging adults, and the older a person gets, the higher the risk that they will develop it. If your senior has certain risk factors, including family history of the disease, it is important that you take steps to help your parent prevent the disease and stay healthier throughout their later years.
While there is nothing that can absolutely prevent lung cancer, these things can help reduce your parents risk:
Encourage them to stop smoking. The vast majority of cases of lung cancer occur in those who smoke, and quitting automatically reduces the risk.
Encourage your parent to avoid secondhand smoke if they live with someone who smokes, frequently visits someone who smokes, or goes to restaurants or other locations that allow smoking.
Have your parents home tested for radon. This is a colorless, odorless gas that is naturally-occurring and can build up inside homes that use natural gas.
Encourage your parent to eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to encourage healthy functioning and support their bodys natural defenses.
Help your parent stay active and encourage them to get physical activity at least five days per week. It is preferable that they exercise every day to keep their body as healthy as possible. This does not have to be strenuous. Just thirty minutes of walking or gentle activity such as yoga is fantastic for health and well-being.
If you have been considering ways to improve your aging parents quality of life, boost their mental and emotional well-being, and support efforts to protect their health as they age in place, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting elder care for them. An elderly home care services provider can be with your parent on a customized schedule to ensure that they have continued access to the care that they need. These highly personalized services can include safe and reliable transportation to support activity and independence, medication and treatment reminders to help your parent stay compliant, assistance with personal care needs, mobility assistance, help with activities of daily living, and companionship. As their family caregiver, this can give you tremendous peace of mind knowing that whether you are with your parent or not, they will get everything they need to live their highest quality of life.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lung-cancer/basics/prevention/con-20025531
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/statistics/index.htm
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-small-cell-lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in St. Paul, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.
