Five Tips for Seniors Battling Bad Breath

Bad breath is something that most people spend a lot of time and energy avoiding, but there are times when it can occur and no matter what your senior is trying she doesn’t have much luck defeating it. These possible solutions can help your elderly family member to get a handle on her concerns with bad breath in a way that takes all of her needs into account.

Visit the Dentist

Personal Care at Home in Albany, MN: Bad Breathe

One of the first things to do if your senior is having issues with bad breath is to visit her dentist. That’s even more important if it’s been a while since her last dental exam. Your senior’s dentist can find potential issues that may be causing the issues she’s experiencing with her bad breath. Some of those issues can include dental hygiene concerns or cavities and other dental problems. Resolving those can resolve a great many issues for your senior.

Increase Hydration

Many older adults don’t drink enough water on a daily basis. Water helps your senior’s body to flush waste out of her system, but it starts out by rinsing her mouth and helping those mucus membranes to stay moist. Often seniors don’t notice that they’re not producing as much saliva as they did in the past, either because of aging or because of medications and other health issues. Drinking plenty of water can help.

Get Help with Daily Dental Care

Another potential issue could be that it’s more difficult for your senior to handle personal care tasks, like dental hygiene. Having help from personal care at home can make a huge difference in your senior’s ability to keep her teeth and her mouth healthy. Personal care at home can also assist your elderly family member with other types of personal tasks that are becoming difficult.

Look More Closely at Diet

If your elderly family member is eating a lot of junk food or other types of foods that aren’t as healthy as they could be, that could be contributing to her bad breath. Adding healthier foods, especially vegetables and fruits, can make a noticeable difference for her in her overall health as well as her breath. Home care providers can assist your senior in eating healthier meals on a regular basis.

Pay Attention to Other Health Issues as Well

Any other health issues that your elderly family member is battling need to be addressed, too. The human body is a complicated system and there are lots of potential health issues that can contribute to bad breath. Work with your senior’s doctor to determine if changes to how those other health issues are managed could assist with side effects she may be experiencing, like bad breath and other concerns.

Dental issues, including bad breath, can cause your elderly family member to isolate herself and keep herself lonelier than she really has to be. Resolving some of these issues for her in a way that empowers her and keeps her healthy gives her a chance to undo some of those emotional impacts.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Personal Care at Home in Albany, MN please contact the caring staff at Alternative Senior Care today. Providing Home Care in Central Minnesota and Surrounding Communities. Call us Today (320) 352-3350