Kidney Health and Winnipeg’s Seniors

Senior Health and Wellbeing  |  March 19, 2025

What Every Senior in Winnipeg, MB, Needs to Know About Maintaining Optimal Kidney Health 

Ensuring kidney health is vital for the overall well-being of senior citizens, a group that often prioritizes heart and brain function. Neglecting renal care can lead to serious health issues, including kidney failure, cardiovascular diseases, and bone disorders.

Therefore, older adults must give their kidney health the same level of attention and care as they do to their heart and brain wellness.

FAST FACT: According to the Kidney Foundation of Canada, an estimated 2.6 million Canadians have kidney disease, or are at risk.

Senior Kidney Health: What Do the Kidneys Do?

The kidneys, bean-shaped organs located below the rib cage, play a vital role in maintaining the body’s balance. They are responsible for filtering blood, removing waste and excess water, controlling blood pressure, producing hormones, and balancing pH levels.

Chronic Kidney Disease in Seniors

As we age, it can be difficult for the kidneys to function optimally.

Additionally, certain conditions and factors—such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity—can negatively affect kidney function, potentially resulting in chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is generally defined as the loss in kidney function over an extended period of time. 

Symptoms do not usually manifest until the disease is in an advanced stage, but they include:

• Increased fatigue
• Constant thirst
• Shortness of breath
• Increased frequency of urination
• Skin rashes
• Difficulty managing diabetes or high blood pressure

As these symptoms are subtle and can apply to any number of other conditions, the only way to know if you have kidney disease is through blood and urine tests. If CKD goes unchecked, not only do wastes continually collect in the body, but it may even lead to kidney failure – meaning that the kidneys’ functionality has been reduced to less than 15%.

Should kidney failure come into play, there are treatment options available, including dialysis or a kidney transplant. However, seniors do not have to wait for things to get worse before they can get better. Risk reduction, through adjustments in diet and lifestyle and diligent monitoring, can make a big impact on kidney health (and overall well-being). Here are some recommendations for seniors age 65 or older.

Ways to Support Healthy Kidneys in Canada’s Seniors

Kidney-Healthy Diet for Seniors

• Drink plenty of water. As a general rule of thumb, stick to eight 8-ounce glasses (or about 2 liters) throughout the course of the day.
• Consume foods low in salt, sugar, and fat – and look for labels that contain the words “whole grains”
• Purchase fresh produce, instead of their canned or processed counterparts.
• Discuss kidney-friendly diets, and any diet change in general, with a physician or dietician.

Healthy Lifestyle for Seniors

• Do not smoke, or take steps to quit smoking.
• Limit alcohol consumption.
• Incorporate at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity into your daily schedule. Be sure to consult a doctor or physician before beginning any exercise regimen.
• Maintain a healthy weight, and lose weight if you are currently overweight.

Senior Kidney Health Monitoring

• Rigorously manage blood sugar levels, especially if you have diabetes. Be sure to abide by your doctor’s instructions in regard to insulin and blood sugar monitoring.
• Keep blood pressure in check. Talk to your doctor about options for using anti-hypertensive drugs, designed to lower blood pressure, such as ACE inhibitors or angiotensin blockers.
• Get an annual screening, especially if you have any of the risk factors associated with kidney disease.

Senior Kidney Disease Is Not Inevitable

Seniors may feel they do not have a choice when it comes to the health of their kidneys. While it is true that kidney functionality does naturally diminish over time due to the decrease in kidney tissue and filtering units, advanced age does not solely trigger kidney disease. Encourage your senior loved ones to incorporate the tips listed above to help reduce the risk of kidney disease and other health conditions.

Comfort Keepers® Can Help

Our caregivers can help establish a daily routine and encourage your loved one to make healthy choices – to support not only the health of their kidneys but also their overall well-being. Call your local office today to find out about how our in-home care services can help your aging loved one today.

Comfort Keepers® Winnipeg Offers a Wide Range of Private Home Senior Care Services

For families concerned about the health and well-being of aging loved ones, we can help with homecare services including, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, in-home personal care, respite care, specialized care, in-home nursing, end-of-life care, senior living transition services, and much more! 

Comfort Keepers® professional caregivers provide services to ensure safety, health, and happiness without the stress of moving to an assisted living or rehabilitation facility. Individually tailored care plans account for living arrangements, medical issues, physical restrictions, personalities, expectations, and more.

Our Interactive Caregiving™ Approach Enables Top-Notch Homecare

Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs). Our compassionate caregivers can provide a personalized home care plan for your loved one, allowing them to enjoy a healthier, safer, and more meaningful retirement at home. 

Comfort Keepers® is the Most Trusted Name in Senior Care in Winnipeg

Our in-home caregivers ensure our seniors are physically, socially, and mentally engaged. In addition, we provide options, activities, events, and resources for seniors that might otherwise not be available.

Locally Owned and Operated In-Home Personal Care for Seniors

Our caregivers live and work in the Winnipeg area. We know the area and how to assist our clients using local resources. Comfort Keepers® Winnipeg is here to help you and your loved ones get the best care possible. If you live in Winnipeg and require homecare services for senior personal care and wellbeing, contact Comfort Keepers® at (204)-488-4600. 

Accredited Home Care for Seniors in Winnipeg

Comfort Keepers® Winnipeg is accredited with Exemplary Standing with Accreditation Canada. Accreditation is an intensive process in which industry experts examine an organization’s processes, policies, and procedures against quality standards. To achieve accredited status, Comfort Keepers® offices met or exceeded the rigorous standards for Home Care companies, as defined by Accreditation Canada.

References:

• NIHSeniorHealth. “Kidney Disease” Web. 2016.
• Better Health Channel. “Kidneys – Age-Related Problems” Web. 2016.
• A Place for Mom. “The Connection between Diet and Kidney Damage” by Sarah Stevenson. Web. 2014.
• Kidney Foundation of Canada.  “Facing the Facts”.  Web 2012.

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