Best Ways to Care for Seniors with Chronic Illnesses

According to a WHO report, the severity of chronic diseases increases with advancing age. Generally, senior adults are vulnerable and suffer from multiple chronic illnesses. A CDC report found that 85% of aging persons have at least one chronic condition, while over 60% have two or more conditions.

For instance, elderly persons suffering from diabetes have a high risk of developing chronic kidney or heart disease. Family members and caregivers should prioritize healthy living for seniors. If you are caring for an aging loved one, you should prioritize the following.

1. Better Care Facility

Aging seniors have compromised immunity, which makes them vulnerable to infections and viruses. Contracting such infections worsens the existing diseases. If caring for your loved one at home proves challenging, you should take them to care facilities. Care facilities like Husky Senior Care provide a hygienic environment for seniors, a good diet, and sleep.

2. Don’t Ignore Doctor’s Follow-up Visits

Whether they are suffering from diabetes, hypertension, or pulmonary conditions, aging seniors should be seen regularly by their doctors. Older adults with multiple chronic conditions require close attention and special care. You should schedule and fulfill follow-up appointments.

3. Proper Symptoms Management

Symptoms management is probably the most discouraging part of dealing with chronic conditions. Teaching the elderly and caregivers how to manage these symptoms makes a big difference. If your aging senior is complaining of chronic pain, over-the-counter medication and physical therapies can help. Alternative therapies are also effective.

Chronic diseases also worsen depression and anxiety among older adults. Most of them start feeling isolated and worthless. Managing these conditions requires that the physical and emotional aspects are attended to. A combination of therapies, medications, and lifestyle changes are effective.

Seniors also struggle with fatigue, which affects their quality of life. Simple exercises, good sleep hygiene, and other lifestyle changes can help them get quality rest.

4. Chronic Disease Self-management

Surprisingly, there are many elderly persons living alone or without formal caregivers in the U.S. Most of these populations experience challenges seeking treatment for their chronic conditions. Chronic disease self-management can help those battling these conditions. Self-management education and training revolves around:

• Medication management
• Symptoms management
• Healthy lifestyle choices
• Stress management

Educating aging seniors about self-management puts them in control of their condition and medications.

5. Communication is Key

You should know how to communicate when dealing with aging adults. For starters, they can’t effectively communicate their symptoms and other issues. You should find ways of getting this information from them. It is also through constant communication that you can identify changes in their health.

Endnote

Successful management of chronic diseases affecting the elderly requires a collaborative approach. Caregivers should be patient, proactive, and watch out for symptoms. Timely checkup, symptom management, and enrolling the senior in a reputable care facility can improve their health and well-being. Caring for older adults also requires a personalized approach to address the unique symptoms and challenges facing the elderly.