Category: Chronic Conditions

Many seniors develop chronic health conditions as they age. And managing those chronic conditions can mean that seniors have to pay a lot of attention to their lifestyle as well as their medical care. Aging seniors who are living at home may need to make some adjustments to their surroundings and lifestyles in order to stay as healthy as they can. Some of the things that seniors aging in place can do to manage chronic illnesses at home are:

Rely on Senior Home Care

Seniors who have a chronic illness may find that keeping up with household chores is just too difficult for them. If they manage to get themselves dressed and take care of the activities of daily living they might not have any energy left to do things like go grocery shopping, sweep the floor, or do a load of laundry. Senior home care picks up the slacks and takes care of the chores and activities that seniors who are battling chronic illness can’t do. Medication management, picking up refills, arranging appointments, and many other tasks can all be done by a home care provider for seniors.

Focus On A Healthy Diet

Diet is an essential component of health, especially for seniors that have chronic health problems. Eating a diet that reduces inflammation, provides enough nutrition, and doesn’t taste terrible is harder than it seems. But with senior home care seniors have help with choosing new recipes to try, cooking, shopping, and cleaning up after meals. Seniors living at home will be better able to focus on a plant based diet with some lean proteins that will help them stay pain free and healthy when they have a care provider.

Get More Exercise

Exercise is the key to longevity and there is a lot of evidence that it can help reduce chronic inflammation and pain. Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous to be effective either. Just walking for 20-30 minutes a day can be enough to radically change a senior’s life. When seniors have senior home care they can take the time to focus on their health and find new ways to incorporate exercise into their daily routine. The more exercise seniors get the healthier they will be. When seniors don’t have to worry about chores and other responsibilities they can join a yoga class, try some strength training, or experiment with other types of exercise that they might enjoy.

Get More Sleep

Sleep is just as important for good health as diet and exercise and many seniors don’t get enough of it. Seniors that have home care can relax at night knowing they have all the help they need. They also will have help showering and getting ready for bed if they need it. And that extra sleep can help them fight their chronic illnesses and live with less pain and inflammation.

Reference
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/health-issues-in-older-adults

If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Eden Prairie, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.

What is an “invisible disease?” If you have no idea, you’re not alone. That’s the goal of International Red Shoe Day. It’s an awareness day designed to educate people about the invisible diseases that often have no noticeable symptoms at first, which makes them easy to overlook.

So, what is an invisible disease? It’s a disease like chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, and Lyme disease that are easily overlooked but can cause severe illness in people. Put on a pair of red shoes on July 25th and better understand these invisible diseases.

Understanding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome, CFS for short, is a health condition with no known cause. Symptoms include extreme fatigue that has no known cause and lasts for over six months. A person with CFS may not have the energy to do anything. Insomnia and chronic pain are other symptoms. It makes it impossible to complete routine chores like housework, daily exercise, or engage in social activities.

If your mom has CFS, you’ll find that in-home care services offer a lot of the support she needs. She has someone to do the housework, complete laundry, cook meals, and run errands for her. She’ll have someone available to take her to doctor’s appointments.

Understanding Fibromyalgia

Around four million Americans have fibromyalgia. It’s more common in middle-aged or older adults and affects more women than men. Unexplained pain throughout the body, headaches, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, insomnia, and depression are all signs.

As the pain can make it difficult to function, in-home care is essential. Your mom has someone to help her cook meals, keep the home clean, and move around the home when the pain is extreme.

Understanding Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is caused by the bite of an infected deer tick. You can pick up a tick walking through a field, the woods, or even while gardening in your yard. You may not realize you’ve been bitten, especially if the tick bites a hard-to-reach area like the small of the back or buttocks. If the tick feeds for over 24 hours, Lyme may spread.

If you have Lyme disease, the main symptoms are fever and aches, which are very similar to the flu, so you may not even realize you have something more than the flu. If it goes untreated, it can cause severe joint pain and affect the heart.

Showering after working in a garden or walking in the woods is important. You want to remove the tick before it has a chance to bite. Bug repellant helps keep them away.

Your mom has Lyme disease. Make sure she takes all doses of medications prescribed by her doctor. Medication reminders from an in-home care aide may be necessary to ensure she takes every dose.

In-home care aides provide the help your mom needs to manage her invisible disease. Talk to a home care specialist to learn more about hiring caregivers.

Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering in-home care in Plymouth, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.

World Kidney Day falls on March 10th. How much do you know about kidney health? It’s not something families think about until the doctor mentions a parent has kidney damage or chronic kidney disease (CKD). Here are the facts you need to know and how 24-hour home care can help.

Certain Factors Increase the Risk of Kidney Disease

High blood pressure and diabetes are the leading causes of kidney disease. High blood pressure accounts for around 25% of cases, while diabetes is estimated to cause about 33%. Infections, excessive, long-term use of certain over-the-counter pain relievers, and kidney stones can also damage the kidneys.

There Are Five Stages of CKD

There are five stages of CKD, with stage five known as end-stage renal disease. Healthy kidneys can filter over 90mL of blood each minute. This is known as a glomerular filtration rate (GFR). It’s measured by checking the level of creatinine in the blood.

  • Stage one kidney disease occurs when the GRF is 90 mL.
  • Stage two is down to 60 to 89 mL per minute.
  • Stage three has a GFR level of 30 to 59 mL.
  • Stage four’s GFR is 15 to 29 mL.
  • Stage five is when kidney failure is established, and dialysis may be required. The levels at this point are under 15 mL.

You May Not Notice Any Symptoms

Most people do not notice any symptoms until their kidneys are advanced. Signs include fatigue, lack of appetite, swelling in the ankles, and urine that’s foamy or bloody.

Diet and Medications Are Primary Treatments

Once your mom or dad is diagnosed with CKD, diet and medications are the first treatments. The diet may require your parent to monitor protein and carb intake carefully. Sticking to a low-salt diet is also advised. Fluid intake may need to be moderated in the later stages.

If the damage is severe, dialysis may be needed to help filter the blood. Dialysis treatments can be done at home with proper training. Otherwise, your mom or dad will need someone to drive them to medical offices for these essential treatments.

Depending on the type of dialysis, it can take hours to complete a dialysis session. Hemodialysis done in your parent’s home dialysis is often done three or more times per week and takes up to ten hours to complete. Most people complete the sessions while they sleep. Your parent may need to go in three times a week for up to five hours each time in a center.

The other option is peritoneal dialysis. The blood is cleaned while it’s still in the body. It’s often done at home during everyday activities.

Support a parent after a CKD diagnosis. Arrange to have caregivers available throughout the day and night to help with medication reminders, diet, exercise, and appointment scheduling. Call a specialist in 24-hour home care to learn more.

Sources:

Chronic Kidney Disease

If you or an aging loved one is considering 24-hour home care in Minneapolis, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.