Tips for maintaining the health of the elderly during Tet: Enjoying food and drinks while remaining safe.

When Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) is mentioned, many elderly people immediately think of children and grandchildren gathering around, a table full of dishes, and lively greetings. While joyful, for many older people, Tet is also a time when their bodies feel heavy, they have trouble sleeping, and their digestion suffers, simply because they "feel reluctant to refuse" the constant servings of food, drinks, and drinks offered by their children and grandchildren.

In this article, we would like to share a few suggestions to help elderly people maintain their health while still preserving a warm and harmonious family atmosphere without offending anyone during the New Year celebrations.

1. Health of the elderly – Why do the elderly tend to overeat during Tet (Lunar New Year)?

Normally, older people have fairly regular schedules: eating meals on time, sleeping on time, and limiting fried foods. But when Tet (Lunar New Year) comes, everything changes:

• Having breakfast later, often combined with lunch, disrupts the body's circadian rhythm.
• The Tet feast often includes many sticky rice dishes, fatty meats, sausages, and pickled onions – all of which can easily cause bloating and indigestion.
• When children and grandchildren come to visit after a long time, everyone wants to offer their grandparents "another piece of food to make the house feel more lively," creating psychological pressure.
• Some families even offer alcohol, leading to higher-than-usual consumption of stimulants.

Changes in daily routines and food types make older adults – whose digestive systems are already slower – even more prone to fatigue. For those with underlying health conditions, uncontrolled eating habits can seriously affect blood pressure, blood sugar, and cardiovascular health. Therefore, proactive management is crucial. caring for the elderly Staying at home during Tet (Lunar New Year) isn't just about checking blood pressure and reminding them to take their medication, but also about helping the elderly maintain healthy and balanced eating habits.

2. Difficulty in refusing invitations from children and grandchildren.

Many elderly people share that they are reluctant to bother their children and grandchildren, fear being misunderstood as being difficult, or not embracing the Tet atmosphere, so they try to eat according to their children and grandchildren's wishes. This is a very understandable sentiment.

However, if you have to force yourself to eat to "please your children and grandchildren," then afterwards you'll have to:

• I had indigestion all night and couldn't sleep.
• Stomach ache, bloating, need to take medication.
• Exhausted after the Lunar New Year holiday, I no longer have the energy to play with the grandchildren.

Obviously, the joy of Tet would be greatly diminished. Taking care of your health is also a way of showing love to your children and grandchildren – so that everyone can rest assured that grandparents are always healthy.

3. The art of politely refusing without offending others.

Instead of silently trying to eat, older adults can use gentle yet clear language to express their health needs:

• "This dish is delicious, but you can only eat this much, otherwise you'll have trouble sleeping tonight."
• "Just give Dad half a piece, the doctor said he should eat less fat to keep his blood pressure down."
• "That's enough to eat today, Grandpa, so you can save your energy to play with the grandchildren all day tomorrow."

While speaking, smile, pat your child's head, touch their hand, so they understand that you're not feeling unwell, you're just taking care of your health. This is also an important part of psychological care: knowing how to listen to your body and daring to express your needs while still maintaining warmth in the family.

4. A few tips for enjoying Tet without worrying about feeling bloated.

To enjoy a truly joyful Tet holiday, elderly people can adopt a few simple habits:

• Snack before the main meal: If the main meal is delayed, you can have a light snack beforehand, such as some fruit, yogurt, or a small bowl of soup, to avoid getting too hungry.
• Eat slowly, chew thoroughly: Prioritize soups, vegetables, and light dishes before eating sticky rice or fatty meats to reduce the burden on the digestive system.
• Limit foods that are difficult to digest: Eating a little fried food, with skin and fat, is enough for enjoyment.
• Limit your alcohol consumption: If you absolutely must raise a glass, you can ask for very little wine, or switch to water or fresh fruit juice.
• Maintain a regular sleep schedule: Try to keep your medication and sleep times close to your usual schedule to avoid disrupting your body.

If you feel uncomfortable or bloated after a meal, consider finding relaxation techniques such as therapeutic massage It's also an effective way to support digestion. These things may seem small, but they are a very important part of caring for elderly parents: helping them get through the Lunar New Year feeling relaxed and not exhausted.

5. When should children and grandchildren seek professional help?

For families where children and grandchildren are busy and cannot always be with their grandparents, or where the elderly have multiple underlying health conditions requiring close monitoring of their diet, seeking professional support is essential.

• Thanks to home nursing support, you can monitor your child's eating and sleeping habits and remind them to take their medication.
• Find someone to help prepare meals that suit your individual dietary needs.

For cases where family members have underlying health conditions requiring close monitoring, this service... caring for the sick Professionalism will be the optimal solution. Additionally, to reduce the burden of house cleaning and have more time to relax with grandparents, many families also seek out cleaning services. housemaid by the hour.

Utilizing support services helps children and grandchildren feel more at ease about their grandparents' health, while also reducing anxiety for family members during the busy Tet holiday.