Taking care of your family’s health is always going to be a priority. But sometimes life can be busy and challenging, and care becomes reactive. Care isn’t just about visiting the doctor when someone feels unwell; it is also about preventative care. This focuses on catching potential issues early, staying well and building habits that support the long-term health of everyone in your family, across generations.
With an intentional, thoughtful approach, prevention becomes integrated into your daily life and shared amongst everyone, rather than a chore or a stressful reaction.
To help you on your journey, here are some top tips to support you and your family.
Make a preventative check-up part of your routine
Regular health checkups are the foundation of preventative care. Going to the dentist for a checkup and clean, an annual physical, an eye and hearing exam, and other age-appropriate screens can help you all to identify any issues before they become serious, painful or costly. For adults, this also may include blood pressure checks, cancer screening and cholesterol testing. Young children may benefit from pediatric visits.
Prioritise nutrition
Healthy eating can look different for everyone and at different stages of life. But a good and healthy balance can go a long way for everyone. Try to focus your food shops around whole foods - vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats and whole grains. Limit junk food, excess sugar and processed foods where possible. Involving the whole family in meal planning and cooking can help them to be more enthusiastic about it, as well as learn good habits for when they start to become more independent.
Support mental and emotional well-being
Preventive care typically involves physical health, and mental health is missed. However, this is really important to the health and wellbeing of your whole family. Stress, anxiety and burnout can impact everyone, especially if it is neglected. There are some really important and simple things you can do, for example, keep communication safe and open, have regular family time and build healthy habits around regular meals and sleep routines to protect emotional health. Adults should learn stress triggers and management, so they can model this to everyone else. This may be resting, setting boundaries and asking for help. Talking about feelings is a really important way to help children feel safe and build resilience.
Identify different needs
Everyone is different and will have different needs. Children and elderly parents are going to need familiarity and regular routines to help keep a safe and calm environment. It is important that awareness of individual needs is raised, so routines and habits can be adapted accordingly. A part of preventative care may be having difficult conversations with your parents, especially if their needs are changing and you can no longer meet them. A care home can complement family support and allow everyone to get what they need to live a healthy and happy life. Make sure in all of this, you also consider your own needs and be kind to yourself, as well as those of your family members. They are just as important.
Preventive care is most effective when it is acknowledged and integrated into your daily life. It then becomes second nature.
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