Arthritis can strike at any age. It can be an especially frustrating condition as your elderly family member grows older, however. Learning how to help your senior as much as possible with arthritis helps her to live a fuller life.
Make Sure You Understand How Arthritis Affects Her
Arthritis can occur in almost every joint and there are different types of arthritis, too. It’s really important that you get to know all that you can about your senior’s arthritis and how it affects her life on a daily basis. From there, you can drill down and get more specific about helping her with the issues that arthritis creates for her.
Stay Open to Whatever She Needs to Share
Keeping the lines of communication open between you and your aging adult is crucial. This allows you to modify plans on the fly to best accommodate what she needs. Talk to her about how she’s feeling and about what is and isn’t working well for her. When she’s able to trust that you want to do the best that you can for her, she’s going to be more open with you.
Offer Help, but Only When it Makes Sense to Do So
One big problem that caregivers run into is that they want to help, even when their senior can still handle certain tasks on her own. You want to be there for your elderly family member and to offer help, but wait for her to confirm that she needs help. This is going to allow her to remain as independent as she can for as long as possible. It’s also going to help to empower her, which is vital for her emotional and mental well-being.
Modify the House in Ways that Make Her Life Easier
Depending on how arthritis affects your senior, some daily tasks might not be as easy as they once were. Opening a door or turning on a faucet can be painful and extremely difficult. Assistive tools and devices combined with household modifications can make a huge difference. Switch out round door knobs for levers and start using universal knob turners in the kitchen for appliances and faucets. These are small modifications, but they can relieve pain and frustration for your senior.
Elderly care providers can help you to spot other ways to keep your senior safer and to improve her quality of life. They can show both of you tips and tricks that can alleviate pain and make daily activities so much easier.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Avenues, UT, contact the caring staff at Interim Healthcare. Call today 801-401-3515.
Author: Michael and Marlena Hawkins, Owners, Interim HealthCare, Salt Lake City, UT
Interim HealthCare of Salt Lake City has been in business since February 2014, providing in-home personal care and support services that help our elderly and/or disabled neighbors live enriched, safe and independent lives. Our goal is to provide customized care and support services that make it possible for our clients to remain in the comfort of their own homes rather than relocate to an assisted living facility. Interim HealthCare is family owned by Michael and Marlana Hawkins, and is a Veteran Owned Small Business.
