Senior Care: What Happens When a Senior is Low in Magnesium?

By Marina Pink | December 21, 2021 |

Senior Care: Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a key role in the human body.

Many studies show that adult men need between 400-420mg per day while women need 310-320mg per day. The best way to ensure that magnesium levels stay high enough is by eating healthy foods and home cooking meals with magnesium-rich ingredients. Senior care providers will be there to support your beloved senior when they need help cooking and other small chores.

Senior Care in Toluca Lake CA: Magnesium

Although no one makes a meal thinking about vitamins and minerals when they cook, it should be something that everyone, even seniors, starts to think about.

Often there are not many symptoms of low magnesium until it is way below what it should be. This means if it becomes incredibly low, it can be dangerous for seniors. Senior care providers will look out for your parents and help them attend doctor’s appointments.

Senior home care providers help ensure seniors can live independently as they age. Instead of having a senior community take care of your parents, they can live on their own and age in place. Having someone there to keep an eye on your parents can relieve the whole family. Your seniors’ health should be a priority, and this is the best way to ensure that happens.

What Foods Are High in Magnesium?

There are many things a senior can do to ensure they are getting the full amount of magnesium they need to be healthy by eating well-rounded meals. There are tons of delicious ingredients filled with magnesium that can make incredible meals. Here is what you can look for when helping your senior shop at the supermarket.

Leafy greens
Legumes
Yogurt
Dried beans
Oat bran

These can all help make great meals throughout the day and can be beneficial to sneak in meals. Seniors with diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, alcohol dependence, or older adults will be most at risk of magnesium deficiency.

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

Many seniors may not even know they are low in magnesium unless they get tested because these symptoms won’t show up until someone is severely low in magnesium. This is a crucial part of a diet but can often go overlooked. It can be especially hard for seniors who eat tons of packaged foods to get the proper amount of magnesium. Here are a few symptoms you can look for.

Nausea

Having an upset stomach can be normal when it comes to magnesium deficiency. This can come in waves meaning off and on. It can also lead to body weakness and fatigue. These tend to be mild symptoms of low levels of magnesium.

Numbness or Tingling Sensations

The lower the magnesium levels are the worse the symptoms are. It can get worse unless it is treated by a doctor. They may need to take medications or add it other ways into their diet.

Senior Care: Seizures

One of the most severe symptoms of magnesium deficiency is that it has been linked to seizures. This may need multiple medications to treat.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Senior Care in Toluca Lake, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388

Sources:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

Author
Recent Posts

Marina Pink

Owner at Home Care Help

Marina Pink is the Owner at Home Care Help. Home Care Help is an innovator in providing services in a caring and professional manner. We have an exceptional history, spanning twenty-three years, of providing care to people in moments that matter most. It is our utmost priority to address every need in a timely manner; and, it is our goal, above all else, to give the level of support that enables our residents to have as much independence as possible with care and respect.