Tips for Helping Your Elderly Parent Break a Bad Habit

Does your elderly parent have a bad habit? Maybe, they smoke, drink alcohol, consume too much caffeine, eat too much junk food, or have another bad habit. No matter what bad habit your elderly parent has, they can stop. It might not be easy. However, stopping is what is best for their health. There are many tips that you can share with your elderly parent to help them break a bad habit.  

Recognize the Habit

Senior Care Gotha, FL: Breaking a Bad Habit

Does your elderly parent recognize their bad habit? Do they admit it is a bad habit? For instance, maybe your elderly parent picks at their fingernails when they are watching television. Maybe they eat a full bag of chips when they watch a movie. These are some bad habits that might not be recognized as bad habits unless they are pointed out by someone. You can nicely find a way to talk to your elderly parent about their bad habit. If they are willing to admit they have this habit, then they can get help to break it. 

Getting the Necessary Help 

Depending on what bad habit your elderly parent has, they might need different kinds of help. For instance, if your elderly parent only has one of the bad habits just mentioned, they may only need help from you and their senior care providers to break the habit. However, if they drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, they may need more help from their doctors or other professionals to break that habit. Once you get your elderly parent the help they need, they can start breaking their bad habit.  

Replacing the Bad Habit 

It is often said that if someone replaces their bad habit with a good habit, they will have a better chance of breaking the bad habit. For instance, if your elderly parent tends to eat a whole bag of chips while watching a movie, encourage them to chew on a piece of gum throughout the movie instead. This isn’t bad for their health and it can give them something else to do, instead of eating. If they can find a better habit to replace the bad habit with, they will be less likely to partake in that bad habit.  

Conclusion 

These are some of the tips that you can use to help your elderly parent break a bad habit. These habits aren’t always easy to overcome. However, if you and the senior care providers your elderly parent has can help encourage these tips, your elderly parent will have a better chance of breaking the bad habit. 

 

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Senior Care in Gotha, FL please contact the caring staff at Winter Garden Senior Home Care today. (407) 347-2050 

 

Sources 

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2012/01/breaking-bad-habits 

Rebecca Lanterman Jennifer Talbot
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