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Tag: Senior Health Issues

Coping with the Challenges of Cancer Treatment

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Pleasant Hill CA
Elder Care in Pleasant Hill CA

Cancer treatment is a challenging experience for people of all ages, but it can be even more difficult for seniors. Treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery can cause physical and emotional side effects. This can affect the quality of life of your older loved one. Coping with these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that includes medical management, emotional support, and lifestyle adjustments. Let’s discuss some tips for senior loved ones to cope with the challenges of cancer treatment, and how elder care can help.

Managing Physical Symptoms

Cancer treatments can cause various physical symptoms that can be challenging for seniors to manage. Fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and pain are also common side effects caregivers can help identify. Seniors receiving elder care should work closely with their healthcare team to manage these symptoms effectively.

This may include taking medications, making dietary changes, and engaging in physical therapy or other forms of rehabilitation. It is essential to communicate with the caregivers and inform them about any new symptoms or changes in the elderly patient’s condition. This will help the care provider to adjust the care plan accordingly and provide support to help manage the symptoms.

Emotional Support

Cancer treatment can be emotionally challenging for seniors. Older adults usually experience anxiety, fear, or depression during this period and require family support. Elder care can help provide the emotional support your senior parent needs to improve their overall well-being.

In addition, counseling or therapy can be beneficial in helping seniors cope with the emotional challenges of cancer treatment. Your senior’s healthcare provider can offer referrals for cancer counseling services.

Lifestyle Adjustments

Seniors may need to make lifestyle adjustments to cope with the challenges of cancer treatment. This may include adjusting their diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough rest.

A healthy diet can help seniors manage the physical symptoms of cancer treatment, such as nausea and vomiting. Provide your senior loved one with a balanced diet rich in nutrients. This includes food such as fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. They should also avoid foods that aggravate their symptoms, such as spicy or fatty foods.

Exercise and Sleep

Regular exercise can also be beneficial for seniors. Exercise can help improve energy levels, reduce fatigue, and maintain muscle strength. Seniors should work with a professional healthcare team to develop a safe and effective exercise plan for their condition.

Getting enough rest is also essential for older adults. Cancer treatments can be exhausting, and seniors should aim to get adequate rest to help their bodies heal. Seniors should prioritize rest and ensure a comfortable and supportive sleeping environment.

Support from Family, Friends and Elder Care Providers

Family and friends can play an essential role in helping seniors cope with the challenges of cancer treatment. Seniors should reach out to their loved ones for emotional support, help with daily tasks, and help from transportation to medical appointments. They can help seniors maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and manage their symptoms. When friends and family aren’t able to be there, elder care can step in and help. Elder care providers can help with all of these tasks of daily living and more.

Cancer treatment is a challenging experience, particularly for older loved ones receiving elder care. Coping with cancer treatment’s physical and emotional side effects requires a multifaceted approach that includes medical management, emotional support, and lifestyle adjustments. Seniors should work closely with their healthcare team and a certified caregiver to manage their symptoms effectively and seek emotional help from their loved ones. With the proper support and care, seniors can successfully cope with the challenges of cancer treatment and maintain a good quality of life.

URLs:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5070391/
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/caregiver-support

If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Pleasant Hill, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

Is Your Loved One in Danger of Having Deep Vein Thrombosis?

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Clayton CA
Elder Care in Clayton CA

March is Deep Vein Thrombosis Month or DVT Month. A DVT refers to a blood clot that forms in a deep vein, such as those in the legs, pelvis, thighs, and arms. This month, people are called to know awareness of what a DVT is, how or why it may occur, and how to recognize it. While in many cases, a DVT doesn’t cause much harm, it could possibly have a part of the blood clot break off and head to the lungs, reducing blood supply and being fatal. Helping your loved one recognize when he develops a DVT may help him prevent a pulmonary embolism. You, your senior and an elder care provider can watch for these signs of a DVT and also take steps to reduce the risk of one developing.

Let’s start with the symptoms of a possible DVT.

If your loved one complains of any of these symptoms to you or his elder care team suddenly occurring in his legs or arms, he should be brought to the hospital right away.

  • A swelling in one leg or arm that doesn’t affect the other limb.
  • If his leg or arm feels warm when your elder care provider touches it.
  • The leg or arm changes color and becomes more red or purple
  • A sudden cramp or soreness that often begins in the calf muscle.

Your loved one may be more at risk for DVT if he has any of these risk factors, but it can occur to anyone.

Over 60
While it can occur at any age, those over 60 are more likely to develop a DVT.

Being Obese
Extra weight puts more pressure on the veins of the pelvis and legs and could lead to a DVT.

Lack of Mobility
If you are caring for an elderly loved one that is bedridden due to an illness or recovery from surgery, his chances of developing a DVT are higher. It can also increase with those who sit for long flights on airplanes or generally just sit most of their day. When the legs aren’t moving, the calf muscles don’t contract and help the blood flow through the veins of the legs. When possible, it’s important to regularly move and stretch the legs.

Being a Smoker
Smokers are more likely to develop a DVT due to how smoking affects blood flow and clots.

Heart Failure
Someone with heart failure doesn’t have a heart and lungs that work as well as they should, making the risk of DVT increase.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease
DVT risk can increase for those who have Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis.

If you think your loved one has developed a DVT, contact his health provider. Most likely they will want to see him so they can monitor it and make sure it doesn’t break off and create a much more serious Pulmonary Embolism.

If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Clayton, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

What You Need to Know About Symptoms of ALS

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care in Concord CA
Home Care in Concord CA

There are about 30,000 seniors who have ALS in the United States at any given time. ALS is a progressive disease that affects the nerves. There is no cure for ALS and seniors who develop ALS usually have a life expectancy of about five years after diagnosis, although some seniors can live up to ten years after diagnosis.

Because ALS is a progressive disease, early detection and treatment offer the best chance for improved quality of life. For seniors that have ALS, home care may be necessary if they want to remain at home. When seniors who have ALS have home care, they can safely age in place in familiar surroundings for as long as possible.

Some of the symptoms of ALS that seniors and their family caregivers should be aware of include:

  • Difficulty walking or doing normal daily activities
  • Tripping and falling
  • Weakness in your legs, feet or ankles
  • Hand weakness or clumsiness
  • Slurred speech or trouble swallowing
  • Muscle cramps and twitching in your arms, shoulders and tongue
  • Inappropriate crying, laughing or yawning
  • Cognitive and behavioral changes

Some of the symptoms of ALS can mimic the symptoms of other conditions that are also common in seniors like Parkinson’s disease. Anytime that you or a caregiver notices that your senior parent is having trouble with their balance, experiencing tingling or nerve pain in their hands and feet, or having a lot of muscle cramps or muscle weakness it’s important to get them checked out by a doctor. The doctor will need to perform tests to see if your senior loved one has a condition like ALS or Parkinson’s disease or if they have a condition like diabetes which can be treated.

ALS Risk Factors

The biggest risk factor for ALS is a family history of it. According to studies, anywhere from 5-10% of seniors with ALS inherit it. If your senior parent has a family member who had ALS they have a 50/50 chance of getting it. The second biggest risk factor is age. The chances of developing ALS increase with age. Most seniors are diagnosed with ALS in their mid to late 60s.

Even though seniors can’t mitigate their risk of getting ALS due to age or familial ties they can lower their risk of developing ALS if they stop smoking. Smoking increases the risk for developing ALS. Even if your senior loved one has smoked for decades quitting now can still help lower their risk of developing this disease.

Military service is another environmental risk factor for developing ALS. If your senior family member served in the military make sure that they are getting regularly tested for ALS so that if they do develop ALS they can start treatment right away and hopefully slow down the progression of the nerve damage caused by ALS.

Sources:
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-als-fact-sheet
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354022

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Concord, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.