It’s chilly but not too cold, plus the marvellous colour changing scenery & the thousands of freshly-harvested and delicious products in your local market – autumn is fantastic for almost everybody! However, the season is not entirely all fun & games as there are many health risks for seniors that come along with its arrival, including lung problems.

Seniors’ lung problems are to be expected at this time of year due to stronger winds and relatively colder temperature. A senior’s breathing will thus become a little more difficult, and coughs will probably happen more frequent.

As the lungs are not in the best condition, recovering from illnesses will also become considerably harder. The senior may feel tired & run down even after long hours of rest due to a deficiency of energy in their lungs & respiratory system.

Due to the connection between the lungs and the large intestine below, fluid problem (dryness) in the lungs can also lead to problems in bowel movements and might lead to constipation.

To prevent, or at least, lower the chance of lung problems in seniors due to dryness during this time of the year:

Try to utilise cooking methods such as steaming or boiling which will help to moisturise the organs upon consumption.
Use more water when preparing meals, and cook things under low heat to retain moisture in your food.
Recipes that are stews, casseroles, and soups with ingredients that have a good amount of good oils in them are perfect for curing lungs’ dryness in the autumn.

Some seasonal ingredients that you can include in your senior’s daily diet to help aid with their lungs’ dryness problem are:

• Organic soy products: tofu, soymilk, miso
• Fruits: apples, persimmons, pears, quinces, grapes, pomegranates, tangerines, grapefruits, kiwis
• Nuts (can be included in cooking oil): walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachio, macadamias, and chestnuts
• Vegetables: mushrooms, spinach, fresh seaweed, kelp, brussels sprouts, kales, broccolis, cauliflowers
• Grains: barley, millet, oats, rice
• Seeds: sesame, hemp
• Spices: ginger, horseradish, wasabi, or garlic

For more information on how to prepare healthy meals in autumn that will keep your seniors healthy and fully prepared for the harsh winter ahead, contact Home Instead Senior Care Outer East today via 03 9754 4861.

Thanks for reading through this Blog, I hope you have found it useful. If you require any further assistance please feel free to contact the office.

Kind regards,

Suzanne McLoughlin
Owner of Home Instead Senior Care Outer East

P.S. We provide free Care Consultations and resource guides to support and guide families. Download your free copies from our Aged Care Resources page or Request a Free Information Pack to receive a hard copy.