How to Respond If Your Parent is Struggling with Heat Exhaustion
More severe than heat cramps, but not as serious as heat stroke, heat exhaustion is a serious form of heat-related injury that occurs when the body overheats. During heat exhaustion your senior may experience a variety of symptoms, including goosebumps, fatigue, fainting, dizziness and rapid heart rate, headache, and more. If left unaddressed, heat exhaustion […]
Encouraging Your Parent to Maintain a High Quality of Life When Living with Low Vision
Low vision is a common element of aging, but when it starts to interfere with function and daily activities it can have a serious impact on your parent. Living with low vision, whether it is due to age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, trauma, or another factor, can diminish quality of life by impacting your parent’s […]
Dad’s Losing His Hearing, How Will You Communicate?
Hearing loss affects half of all U.S. men and women over the age of 75. The loss of hearing occurs gradually, but it can lead to difficulties hearing what a medical professional recommends, when a phone or doorbell rings, or when a smoke alarm goes off. Your dad’s hearing is getting worse. You’re not sure […]
Preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis After Surgery
Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a concern in elderly adults that aren’t very active. Anytime a blood clot forms in the veins, it’s a concern for family members, doctors and the elderly. However, in a post-surgical situation, seniors are more immobilized than ever. The risk of developing DVT is at its highest right after […]
3 Surprising Things Seniors Can Do For Better Digestion
If your elderly relative is experiencing gastrointestinal distress, it can be extremely uncomfortable for them. Symptoms could include abdominal tenderness, gas pains, indigestion, constipation, flatulence, diarrhea, or even bleeding. It’s a fact that age affects the digestive system, but you can encourage your loved one to resist poor digestive health by adopting some healthy habits […]
What Are the Potential Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis?
There are approximately 1.6 million people throughout the United States who are living with inflammatory bowel disease. Of these people, approximately 907,000 people have a condition known as ulcerative colitis. This is more common than Crohn’s disease and is more common in adults than children. Though it is generally diagnosed between the ages of 15 […]
Tips for Caring for a Senior with Lung Cancer
If you have recently learned that your aging parent is one of the thousands of people who will be diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States this year, your life has just taken a turn. As their family caregiver, you must now think about the care needs that they will have as they fight […]
Food Poisoning is Especially Harmful for Elderly Adults
Elderly adults are at a greater risk than other age groups for food poisoning. Because the immune system weakens with age, a senior’s body may not be able to fight off infectious organisms as well as it once did. Where younger adults may struggle for a few days and recover quickly, an elderly person can […]
New Blood Sugar Test Could Help Seniors Better Manage Their Diabetes
In late-September 2017, the FDA approved a new glucose monitor that checks blood sugar levels without collecting blood from a finger prick. The FreeStyle Libre Flash has a sensor that attaches to the back of the arm. The monitor collects a blood sugar reading when it’s waved over that sensor. Understanding Diabetes. Diabetes is a […]
Aches and Pains – When Should You Be Concerned About Your Mom’s Complaints?
Your mom’s complaining more about an aching knee. She gets up in the morning and says her back hurts. After she’s been up, she seems better. You think the pains are normal with aging and arthritis, but you’re not sure. How can you tell when aches and pains need to be looked at? Where Does […]
