What You Need to Know if an Elderly Loved One Has Arthritis

Arthritis is a common health issue, but it can become extremely difficult for your senior to manage as she grows older. Knowing how you and her elderly care aides can help her the most can empower your senior to get through even the toughest days with arthritis.

How Arthritis Impacts Your Senior

Elderly Care Malibu CA

Elderly Care Malibu CA – What You Need to Know if Your Senior Has Arthritis

Arthritis varies greatly from one person to another. Your senior may have lots of joint pain, stiffness, and loss of range of motion. Or she might have only mild symptoms that flare now and then. It’s important that you and your senior work out a way for her to communicate how she’s feeling and what symptoms are worst for her at certain times.

When to Help and When to Step Back

There may be times that your senior needs extra help, whether that’s from you or from elderly care providers. But there may be other times when she wants to do as much as she can on her own. That can be difficult for you and her to navigate effectively together. Elderly care providers have much more experience with this dance and can make it easier for you to learn when your senior really could use extra assistance.

How to Communicate with Her Doctor

Your senior’s doctor knows a lot about arthritis, but maybe doesn’t know a lot about how your senior experiences arthritis. Someone who is in pain a lot can find it difficult to be their own advocate. It’s important that you’re able to be the liaison between your senior and her doctors, particularly when she’s not able to properly convey what her doctor needs to know. This can eliminate a lot of confusion that becomes frustration very easily.

What Assistive Devices She Needs and How Elderly Care Helps

There are a huge array of assistive devices available for people with arthritis. If your senior has arthritis in her hands and has difficulty gripping items, large-handled utensils are hugely helpful. Other assistive devices, like canes or walkers, can help when arthritis in her hips or knees affects her mobility. Talk to her doctor about what types of assistive devices are most likely to help her with the challenges she faces.

Having the help that she needs consistently can make dealing with arthritis a lot easier on a day-to-day basis. Elderly care providers have experience with helping aging adults with all sorts of health conditions, including arthritis. They can make this easier for your senior and for you.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elderly Services in Malibu CA, please contact the caring staff at Assisting Hearts Home Care today. Proudly Serving the Los Angeles & Ventura County. Call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! (805) 371-0033, (818) 593-0094.