Family Caregiver Archives - Page 8 of 10

Are you considering hospice care at home?

What is hospice care?

In this post, I will be talking about hospice care at home. I will also talk about how you and your family can get prepared when you are face with it.

What you should know about hospice care at home.

Hospice is care that is designed to give supportive care to people who are in the final phases of a terminal illness. Usually a hospice patient is not expected to live more than 6 months.

Hospice care is not meant to cure a person.

Instead, hospice care puts on an emphasis on helping patients live pain-free and as comfortably as possible.

Because the focus is on helping people live as comfortably as possible, hospice care at home is usually preferable.

When doctors have exhausted treatment options and a disease is terminal, it is likely they will make a recommendation for hospice care.

This is a tough emotional place to be for any family.

It is possible that as a caregiver, you will feel a sense of guilt for even agreeing to hospice care because it feels like giving up. However choosing hospice care for you and your loved one does not mean you have given up. It just means that in the current situation, the best thing you can do for your family member is help them live out the rest of their days without suffering while living around people they love.

It is therefore alright if you find that you need time to grieve and process the news.

Where necessary, seek counseling.

Hospice care at home- what to expect

A team of healthcare professionals manages home-based hospice care.

This will include:

A doctor
A nurse
Social worker
Clergy/chaplain for support
Speech, physical and occupational therapists – if needed
Home care professionals

Hospice programs also offer respite professionals who can step in to relieve caregivers of their work for a few hours a month.

You will need it as a caregiver so make sure to take as much advantage of it as you can.

A big change you might encounter once hospice care begins at home is that you will have more people in your home.

Home care aides, nurses and other people who work on your loved one’s case will show up at your house as part of their work.

This can be overwhelming for you and your family if you are not used to strangers coming into your home.

Voice these concerns out at the very beginning of your relationships with the professionals.

Let them know if there are things you don’t want them to touch or rooms in your house you don’t want them to enter into.

How to pay for hospice care

Medicare, most Medicaid and private health insurance companies pay for hospice care.

So if you are concerned about the financial cost of hospice care, rest assured that you will get a break when it comes to financing it.

To get more information on how Medicare covers hospice care, you can get more information by following the links below.

The Medicare hotline can answer your questions about hospice benefits and Medicare-certified hospice programs. Call 1–800–MEDICARE (1–800–633–4227); callers with TTY equipment can call 1–877–486–2048.
This e-booklet put out by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid are also helpful.
Frequently asked questions are on the Medicare website for your perusal.
Talk to your doctor and social worker about your hospice options in your area. Once you get that, speak with the individual hospice service providers to get a clear picture of your financial obligations.

Closing Thoughts

I realize that hospice is not a comforting topic. I however realize that it is a reality thousands of families have to face each year.

In this post, I have given you an overview of what you can expect with hospice care at home and how you can begin preparing for it.

If you found this post helpful, consider bookmarking it or sharing it with someone else.

What is arthritis and how can you help your loved one who has it?

In this post, I will go over what arthritis is and what you can do as a caregiver to help.

Arthritis Definition

Arthritis involves the break down of cartilage.

Cartilage is the cushion-like substance that is found at the joints of two bones.

It prevents bones from rubbing against each other and causing pain or even damage of the bones.

Cartilage also allows bones to bend with ease.

In arthritis, cartilage breaks down. This causes swelling and a lot of pain.

This can happen for a number of reasons, including;

An autoimmune disease. A disease is “autoimmune” when the immune system of the person (which is supposed to protect against invaders) begins to attack the person’s normal tissue. In this case, the immune system causes the wearing of cartilage.
Arthritis can also be caused by infection with bacteria or viruses.
A broken bone can lead to arthritis.
General “wear” and “tear” on bones due to old age can also result in arthritis.

The risk for arthritis is higher in women than in men.

Arthritis affects 1 in 4 Americans and is one of the most common chronic conditions in the US.

Signs and symptoms of arthritis

Swelling around the joints
Pain with the swelling
Stiffness
Trouble moving around
Fever
Rash or itch
Breathing problems

What you can do as a caregiver to help

Thankfully, there is a lot of research that has gone into studying arthritis and so there are medications and lifestyle changes a person can make that will help them continue to live a productive life with arthritis.

As a caregiver, you can;

If your loved one complains about stiffness and increased pain in the joints, don’t just dismiss it as “old age”. See a doctor about a possible arthritis diagnosis.
Help your elderly loved one stick with their medication regimen.
Because movement can be difficult for people with arthritis, it is helpful to ensure a safe environment at home to prevent falls and injuries.
Ironically, exercise will still help people with arthritis reduce inflammation. Thus as a caregiver, you can encourage movement that doesn’t put too much pressure on the joints. **Please consult with your doctor for the best ideas on exercise regimens for your loved one with arthritis. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also have evidence-based guidelines on exercises that people with arthritis. You can check those recommendations out here.
Encourage a healthy diet.
If you are encouraging a healthy, balanced diet along with moderate exercise, it will help with weight loss. Obesity can have a negative effect on arthritis.
Pain management. People with arthritis live with a lot of pain. Apart from pain medication, there are several other ways to deal with pain. Hot water therapy for instance is helpful in dealing with painful joints. Thus your loved one may find a session in a hot tub helpful. Other non-pharmacologic ways to deal with pain include;
- Massage
- Ice/hot packs
- Physical therapy
Genes play an important role in arthritis. If you have relatives who have had arthritis, your risk for arthritis is higher. Therefore engaging in moderate exercise, eating a healthy diet that is important in preventing severe symptoms of the disease that would occur if you did nothing at all.

Closing Thoughts

Arthritis affects over 50 million Americans each year.

It is a painful disease that affects more women and the risk increases with age.

Although, there is no known cure, arthritis can be successfully managed so that the person affected lives a productive life.

As a caregiver, you can do a lot to help your elderly loved one with arthritis live productively. It starts with the tips shared in this post.

One of the most important things you can do as a caregiver is to learn what works for their particular case.

Did you enjoy this post?

Share it with someone who is looking for tips on helping their elderly loved one with arthritis.

What is osteoporosis and what can you do as a caregiver to help your loved one with osteoporosis?

In this post, I will go over what osteoporosis is and what the steps you can take to help.

Osteoporosis Definition

Your bone is a living and growing tissue that is constantly rebuilding itself.

As part of your bone wears away, another process in your body build up new bone tissue.

This process happens all throughout your life.

In osteoporosis, these processes become dysfunctional. In osteoporosis, bones wear away quicker and/or the corresponding function that builds new bone no longer work.

Thus, people with osteoporosis have bones that are porous, weak and which easily break.

In fact, the bones of people with osteoporosis can become so weak that something as simple as a cough or bending over can cause a fracture.

It doesn’t help that the chances of your elderly loved one falling also increase with age; further increasing the risk for broken bones.

About 54 million Americans are thought to have osteoporosis or are at risk for it.

Women are more likely to get osteoporosis than men. As a matter of fact, one in two women is at risk for osteoporosis whereas that ratio is one in four for men.

Caucasian and Asian women are at a higher risk of osteoporosis than women of other races.

Signs and symptoms of osteoporosis

Back pain
A loss of height over time
Bent over posture
Frequent fractures

What you can do as a caregiver to help

If you start noticing some of the symptoms above or your elderly loved one starts to get fractures after seemingly harmless tasks, it is time to consult with a doctor about osteoporosis. Doctors may conduct a bone density test to measure the amount of calcium and other bone-hardening minerals.
Encourage a healthy diet with an emphasis on calcium, Vitamin D and protein. These include:
- Sardines in oil with bones
- Milk
- Yogurt
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Kale
- Orange juice with added calcium
- Broccoli
- Almonds
- Okra
- Sesame
- Salmon with bones
Set up a safe home environment that decreases the risk of falls. Check out this post and this one on things you can do to keep the home safe for older adults.
If your elderly loved one smokes, you will have to encourage them to quit. Smoking causes the loss of bone. Quitting smoking removes that external pressure.
Encourage your loved one to keep a healthy weight through proper diet and light exercise. It’s important that the exercise your elderly loved one chooses is not one that can put strain on the bones. A walk through the neighborhood 30 minutes 3-4 times a weak is enough exercise. Exercise makes bones stronger. With proper diet, medication and moderate exercise, the effects of osteoporosis will be reduced. **Please talk to your elderly loved one’s doctor before starting an exercise regimen.
Drinking can also reduce bone mass. Encourage your loved one to reduce their alcohol intake or quit altogether.
If the doctor places your loved one on medications to help with osteoporosis, encourage them to stick with the medication schedule.

Closing Thoughts

As we get older, the risk for bone disease increases. For a female elderly loved one, this risk for osteoporosis is increased by a large margin compared to men.

And while all the underlying causes of osteoporosis are not fully understood, it is possible for you as a caregiver to help your loved one live a functional and productive life in spite of the disease.

Did you find this post helpful?

Consider sharing it with someone else who is looking for how they can help their elderly loved one with osteoporosis.

Back pain is a common complaint for a lot of people.

In fact, it is so common, it can be easy to ignore back pain.

Statistically, 80% of adults will complain of back pain in their lifetimes.

For older adults, the pain can be jokingly dismissed as “old age problems”. But is this always the case?

Should we be paying more attention to back pain and what it means for our elderly loved ones’ health?

Just because the pain is common does not mean you have to live with it.

In this post, we will talk about some of the common causes of back pain and how you as a caregiver (or older adult yourself) can keep this problem at bay.

Causes of Back Pain

Back pain may occur for many reasons, including:

Sharp back pain can occur as a result of lifting heavy objects.
Traumatic injuries from accidents can also cause back pain.
Disc degeneration – This happens when the rubbery discs in between the bones of your spine (vertebra) begin to wear away due to old age. Normally, these rubbery discs will support the movement and pressure of the spine. When they wear down, bones begin to rub against each other and stiffness can also happen.
Herniated or ruptured discs – This happens when the rubbery discs we learned of above protrude or become compressed.
“Pinched” nerves/Nerve damage – If some some reason the nerves to your spine/back become compressed, this can also contribute to back pain. Inflammation or an injury could cause this.
Sciatica – This a form of “pinched” nerve that specifically affects the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that travels through the buttocks to the back of the leg.
Spinal irregularities – Any curvature of the spine can also cause pain.
Spondylolisthesis – This is a condition in which a vertebra of the lower spine slips out of place, pinching the nerves exiting the spinal column.
Excessive weight which puts stress on back muscles can also cause back pain.

Most of these causes of back pain are issues that can be handled with at home therapy or with the help of a chiropractor/osteopathic practitioner.

Sometimes however, back pain may simply be a symptom of a much larger problem.

It is always best to check and make sure so any serious condition such as an infection, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia or even cancer of the spine is not responsible for the pain.

Preventing Back Pain

In the case of back pain that is dependent on an existing medical condition, treatment of the condition will usually help to alleviate the pain.

Treatment may involve surgery and prescription medication.

There are simple practices however that can help you or your elderly loved one keep back pain at bay for as long as possible.

Always stretch before exercise or any strenuous activity.
Don’t lift heavy objects. If you do need to lift, use proper body mechanics. Instead of bending your back to pick objects up, lower your entire body and lift objects up using your knees as support.
Do not slouch when you’re sitting or standing.
Place back support on your chairs to help with posture when you sit.
Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet to prevent excessive weight gain which can put stress and strain on your back muscles.
Exercise regularly. This keeps the blood flowing and muscles healthy. Additionally, exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins are natural “painkillers” which give people a great sense of well-being.
Quit smoking. Smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine. Decreased blood flow to the lower spine can contribute to spinal disc degeneration. Smoking also increases the risk of osteoporosis and impedes healing. Smoke-induced coughing can cause back pain as well.

As a caregiver, these are all things you can encourage your elderly loved one to do to help prevent back pain and keep a healthy back.

If you found this post useful, please consider sharing it with someone else who needs advice on how to prevent back pain.

Pneumonia is an infection of the lung that occurs when the immune system is weak.

This infection affects the air sacs of the lung and can cause them to be filled with fluid or pus.

It is as horrible as it sounds and as a caregiver or adult child of an elder, this is one post you should pay attention to especially as flu season draws near.

As we grow older, our immune systems become weaker.

This makes your elderly loved one especially prone to microbial infections including pneumonia.

In this post we talk about what you can do as a caregiver or relative to prepare your elderly loved one for the flu season.

Flu season occurs between October and April each year.

Coincidentally, pneumonia is also at its’ peak during this season of the year.

Thus, as you think about protecting yourself and your loved one from the flu this year, it is also important that you know pneumonia symptoms, so you can protect against that as well.

Pneumonia symptoms in older adults – What you should know

Look out for these pneumonia symptoms so you can act quickly.

Complaints of chest pain when they breathe or cough
Confusion and changes in mental awareness especially in adults older than 65
Shortness of breath
Nausea and vomitting
Diarrhea
Fever
Shaking chills
Sweating
Extreme tiredness/fatigue
Cough that may produce mucus and in severe cases pus

It is easy to dismiss any one of these symptoms.

But please err on the side of caution when it comes to pneumonia.

If your elderly loved one is exhibiting a combination of any of the above symptoms and it persists for more than 2 days, it is important that you see a doctor immediately.

Because pneumonia can be caused by a bacteria or virus, the earlier these “bugs” are treated, the better.

What you can do

What can you do to help your elderly loved one with pneumonia?

Encourage your loved one to see a doctor if they have persistent fever over 102F and a persistent cough or are coughing up pus.

If the doctors do determine that it is pneumonia, your loved one will most likely be given antibiotics/antimicrobial to help clear the infection.

Depending on the stage of the disease, hospitalization may not be necessary.

However, you will need to isolate them to prevent it from spreading to the whole family.

Keep them in a private room.
Encourage them to cover their mouth when coughing.
Wash bed-sheets and clothes as soon as they come out of the private room.
Keep younger children away from the sick elder. Younger children also tend to have vulnerable immune systems.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water if you touch your elderly loved one with pneumonia.

Preventing Pneumonia

There are vaccines available against pneumonia.

Elders can receive vaccines around the same time they receive the flu vaccine.

Ask your healthcare provider about the pneumonia vaccine for your elderly loved one.

Another way to keep pneumonia away is to stay away from sick people.

Pneumonia is able to attack the lungs when immune defenses are down.

By staying away from people who are already sick, you keep yourself from causing a breakdown in your immune system in the first place.

During the winter, make sure your loved one is kept as warm as possible in their home.

Last but not least, it is important that you keep your immune system on the up and up by consuming more foods with vitamin C- which can be found abundantly in oranges, limes, kiwi, broccoli and strawberries. Moderate exercise also keeps your immune system healthy and ready to fight invaders.

Closing Thoughts

As a caregiver, you can limit the incidence of pneumonia for your elderly loved one.

In this post, I shared pneumonia symptoms you should look out for and what you can do help your elderly loved one with pneumonia.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it with someone else as we get closer to that part of the year.

According to the National Adult Protective Services Association, one in nine seniors have reported financial exploitation.

This is incredibly sad and unfortunate.

And what makes it even more difficult to spot and prevent is that the abusers are typically close relatives.

This post will be useful to you whether you’re a caregiver or a senior.

In this post I will discuss ways to spot, prevent and deal with financial abuse.

But first, let’s start with a definition.

What is financial elder abuse?

Financial elder abuse occurs when a person misuses or takes the assets of a vulnerable senior for his or her own personal benefit without prior, explicit consent of the senior.

If a personal disregards the advance directives/living will or estate plan of a living but incapacitated senior for their personal gain, this can be considered financial elder abuse as well.

Types of financial elder abuse

Per the definition above, financial elder abuse can take different forms.

If you see any of the following going on, you can suspect that financial exploitation is going on.

Fraud. This involves forging signatures, taking out funds in the name of the senior, unauthorized check-writing and basically any financial representation of the senior without their prior consent.
Theft. This would involve taking and/or using any asset of the senior without their knowledge. Clothes, cars and jewelry that are taken out of a senior’s house without their knowledge even if you are closely related to them is theft and is a form of financial abuse.
Investments made without the knowledge of the senior is financial abuse. Even if you think an investment will be good for an elderly relative, it is important to ask first before you make an investment on their behalf.
Lottery scams.
Electronic phishing scams that target retirement funds or any other financial asset is also financial abuse.
Real estate fraud which involves transferring property titles out of the name of the senior into another person’s name.
Insurance fraud. This involves life insurance and health insurance.
Businesses can also commit elder abuse if they charge money for work they have not done for a senior just because they think the senior will not check details.

And these examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to financial elder abuse.

If you are a caregiver or a adult child of a senior, a good rule of thumb to follow is to make sure NOTHING is done that with the assets of your relative or parent that they have not consented to or which does not honor their advance directives or living will.

How to prevent financial elder abuse

Know the types of financial abuse that exist. This is what I have listed for you above.
Make sure to fully read and understand all contracts before you sign anything.
Start planning your estate now. Read our previous posts on estate planning and advance directives.
If you are a concerned person and you notice that every time the issue of money is brought up, a spouse, adult child or caregiver does not allow a senior to speak, it is probable that financial elder abuse is going on. Report it immediately to prevent it from getting worse.
If you are a close relative, be careful not to fall into the trap of becoming the financial abuser.

If you are a senior, make sure you only deal with companies who have proven track records when it comes to your money.

Make sure to get everything in writing and not just “take people’s word for it”. As much as you may trust certain people, if a case ever goes to the court of law, unfortunately, “he said” or “she said” will not cut it.

Last but not least, don’t sign any contract you have not fully read and understood. If the person asking you to sign the contract is rushing you or telling you that whatever they are offering is a “limited offer” and that you must “take action now”, these are red flags. If the person is not willing to allow you to take the contract and think about it for at least 3 days so you can make a decision, it may be best that you don’t get into business with them.

How to deal with financial elder abuse once it has happened

What if financial elder abuse is already happening?

What should you do?

Report it.

In the state of California, you can report financial elder abuse by calling your District Attorney’s office.

You can check the California District Attorney’s Association for you DA’s current address and phone numbers by calling 916-443-2017 or by visiting http://www.cdaa.org.

By California law, you are supposed to follow this up with a written report 2 days later.

If you live in San Diego, here is the information you will need.

Hall of Justice
330 W. Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
619-531-4040
FAX: 619-237-1351

San Diego County Adult Protective Services/Elder Abuse Hotline: 800-510-2020

Failure to report financial abuse is a crime in the state of California that is punishable by six months in county jail and a $1000 fine.

Closing Thoughts

Financial elder abuse is a horrible common problem and moreover it is a crime.

If you are committing this crime, the time to stop is NOW.

If you have observed it happen, it is your duty to report it.

Mom is missing payments and dad can’t seem to write the checks correctly.

You know you need to step in and help but how do you do this without stepping on their toes?

At some point or another, if you are an adult child, it is possible that you will become responsible for your parents’ finances.

Whenever money is involved, things get sticky and volatile very fast.

Unless there is an original, agreed upon plan.

In this post, we will talk about easy ways to help your elderly parents manage their finances without making them feel they have lost control.

Accept that it is a difficult topic

In order to help your parents with something as sensitive as money, it is important to have an open conversation.

This conversation can involve your siblings and one or two other people you are sure your parents respect and are more likely to listen to.

In these conversations, it is always important to remind your parents that you care about them and want their well-being.

Seniors fall prey to financial scams to the tune of $3 billion each year. It therefore makes sense that your elderly parent may be wary of your offer to help.

On top of this, a decline in physical strength and health can make elderly people feel helpless. This loss of control can also make the elderly resistant to receiving any help from you.

Acknowledge all these objections when you have the discussion with them.

Have a financial plan

Once the discussion is over and they have agreed to let you help, it is time to create a financial plan.

Creating a budget always seems overwhelming for people but it is one of the best ways to track where each dollar earned goes so that there is less waste.

You can make a budget in a notebook or use one of the many cell phone apps that help you budget.

It does not matter which method you choose. What matters is that you stick to the plan.

Items to consider on the budget include:

Rent/mortgage
Food
Clothing
Utility bills- phone, electricity, water, gas, internet
Home care costs- where applicable

Once all the essential items on the list are taken care of, extra money can be put towards your parents’ savings.

A portion of that can even be used for entertainment!

Transparency is important

Transparency is critical when it comes to taking over your parents’ finances.

I already mentioned that there might be some initial mistrust in allowing someone else to control their finances.

This, it is important for you to be transparent and communicate clearly where each penny is going.

Show your parents physical or digital receipts of payments you have made in their name.
Take them with you to the rental office when you drop off the rent.
Let them get on the phone with the utility company so they can double-check to make sure they got that month’s payment.

These may sound a little extreme, but any length you can go to show your parents that you are honest in your efforts to help them is worth it.

A point to note about financial abuse

Elder abuse can involve money too.

The stories of wealthy elders being taken advantage of by close relatives due to failing health is real and more common than you think.

And while this will be the topic of another blog post, if you are an adult child who suspects that your parent is at the receiving end of this abuse, there is hope.

This is where estate planning (another upcoming blog post topic!) becomes crucial.

Making documented plans ahead of time with an attorney helps to limit financial abuse by placing the right people in charge of managing their parents’ money.

Encourage your elderly parent’s to start estate planning now.

Closing Thoughts

No matter how you slice it, money is always a sticky topic.

Managing money for your parents when they are longer able to can be an even stickier subject.

However, with the right conversation and correct planning, adult children can become responsible for their parents’ finances without drama.

Enjoyed this post?

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I know. I know.

With the record hot temperatures we have been experiencing this summer, flu season is the last thing on anybody’s mind.

But, the reality is that as soon as the weather starts cooling off and the leaves start falling, flu season will be here.

Historically, flu season has started around October and until April or May of the following year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), flu season peaks around February.

Any doubt that you and I need to be ready for flu season?

In this post, I will be discussing what you can expect as far as flu symptoms go, what you can do to prevent the flu and how you as an individual or caregiver can get through a bout with the flu.

Ready?

Let’s delve into it.

What is the flu?

Influenza (flu for short) is a contagious illness that affects the respiratory system. It is caused by the flu virus.

One of the interesting things about the flu virus is that they “change” what they look like each year. So the flu virus that was prevalent in 2005, may not be the flu virus affecting people in 2018.

Because of this, getting a flu shot is important because each year, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health are able to tell us what flu virus is causing all the havoc and thus design vaccines that can specifically protect you against the “virus of the year”.

Older people and people who have a weakened immune system due to another illness are at a higher risk of getting the flu and experiencing flu complications.

Symptoms of the flu

Be aware of the following symptoms of the flu so you can report them immediately.

Fever or feeling feverish/chills
Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Muscle or body aches
Headaches
Intense fatigue/tiredness
Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in young children than in adults.

It is important to note that not everyone who has flu will have a fever or chill.

Thus if you are a caregiver, it is important to take a note of the other symptoms and report those as soon as possible.

How the flu spreads

A person can spread the flu even if they don’t know they have symptoms as well as well they have full blown flu.

In spite of this, people are the most contagious about 3 to 4 days after they have the flu.

How to prevent the flu

Preventing the flu starts with getting a flu vaccination each year.

As I mentioned earlier, the type of flu virus causing disease changes each year. Therefore, a previous year’s vaccination may not be effective in fighting the current virus.

This is why it is so important for you to get a vaccine each year.

Cost shouldn’t stand in your way of getting a flu shot.

Find out if your health insurance or long term care insurance covers flu shots- you might be pleasantly surprised.

Some workplaces even have the flu shot for free for employees. Ask about these.

The other major way to prevent the flu from spreading is to stay away from people who are sick.

This is very important. Simple things like covering mouths during a cough and frequent hand-washing are effective in keeping flu at bay.

Special Instructions for Adults Over 65

According to the CDC, adults older than 65 should also get the pneumococcal vaccine.

The pneumococcal vaccine protects against pneumonia, meningitis and bloodstream infections. All of these can be fatal complications of the flu. Vaccinating against them means you reduce the risk of developing these complications if you do get the flu.

Ask your provider about the pneumococcal vaccine when you go to get your flu shot.

Flu treatment- what you should know

What should you suspect you have the flu?

You need to see a doctor immediately so they can perform tests to confirm that you have the flu indeed.

If you have the flu, antiviral drugs will be prescribed.

If you have antivirals prescribed it is important to finish the entire drug course even if you feel great after the first one or two doses.

Closing Thoughts

The flu season will be here before you know it.

Arming yourself with the knowledge above will help keep you and your elderly loved ones healthy through the season and help you fight it if you do get infected.

If you enjoyed this post, consider sharing it with someone else who is looking for this information for the flu season.

Last week we talked about what diabetes is and the symptoms you should look out for if you’re a caregiver.

In today’s post, I will be going over diabetes complications you should know about as you provide care to your loved ones.

Because diabetes can go undetected for years, there are complications of the condition can develop because of late detection.

It is however important to watch for complications because diabetes complications can be disabling and even fatal.

The good news however, is that diabetes complications can be avoided with the right care and good control.

Diabetes complications you should know about

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia simply means “low sugar”.

It happens if a diabetic patient has not had enough to eat or receives much more insulin that they need.

The sugar available to the person’s cells becomes low and they begin to show the following symptoms, with the most severe symptoms at the bottom of the list.

An irregular heartbeat
Complaints of tiredness/fatigue
Shakiness
Hunger
Sweating
Clumsy movements (almost like they are drunk)
Slurred words
Tingling sensation around the mouth
Blurred vision
Confusion
Loss of consciousness

Hyperglycemia

On the other hand, a diabetic patient can struggle with “too much” sugar in their blood.

Hyperglycemia happens when there is not enough insulin to allow sugar to enter into a person’s cells.

Symptoms of hyperglycemia include:

Increased thirst
Heachaches
Increased urination
Weakness and tiredness
Blurred vision

It is important as a caregiver that you know when to give your loved one insulin and how much.

Too much can tank their blood sugar whereas too little causes as elevation in their blood sugar than can be dangerous.

Wounds that don’t heal

Never ignore wounds on your elderly loved one that don’t seem to go away.

In a healthy individual, you should begin to see signs of wound healing a day or two after the fact.

Therefore, if a week after a person has sustained an injury, there are no signs of the wound healing, it is very important that you report the situation to a doctor so measures can be taken immediately.

If you don’t do this, a wound that could have been taken care of in its’ earlier stages can continue to get worse until an amputation of a body part is needed to prevent the wound from spreading.

Neuropathy

Neuropathy is when diabetes has cause damage to a person’s nerves so they cannot feel their certain parts of their bodies especially their feet or fingers.

This condition and the tendency for wounds not to heal in diabetic patients are a terrible combination.

They can lead to amputations if immediate care is not given.

Because a person with neuropathy cannot feel their feet or fingers, they could sustain an injury and not realize it until it gets bad.

Thus as a caregiver, it is important to inspect your loved one’s skin to make sure it is all intact.

And it is important that you report any wounds that don’t heal after a week or two immediately.

Glaucoma

As I mentioned above, nerve damage is a complication of diabetes that can affect different parts of the body.

When the nerves of the eyes become damaged, it leads to glaucoma- a severe eye condition that causes vision loss and in severe instances, blindness.

Kidney disease

Diabetes is a common cause for kidney disease.

High blood sugar damages the blood vessels that lead to many organs.

The kidneys are the organs in the body that filter fluids and allow your body to create urine.

When your body creates urine, it “cleans” the blood. Without this cleaning mechanism, toxic substances will accumulate in the body.

A failure to properly control diabetes can lead to damaging the blood vessels that lead to the kidney and thus causing the kidneys to fail.

This is called diabetic nephropathy.

If your elderly loved one has diabetes, it is important to have their kidney function screened regularly.

Heart disease

According to the American Heart Association, 68% of people with diabetes over the age of 65 years die of heart disease while 16% of them die from a stroke related to diabetes.

There are many factors that intertwine with diabetes to give this abysmal outlook. These include smoking, unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity.

Preventing diabetes complications

Diabetes complications can be kept at bay to a large extent.

Thus as a caregiver, the best you can do is to encourage these preventative measure.

Engage in physical activity for 30 minutes at least 3-4 times per week.
Lose weight.
Quit smoking.
Eat a healthy balanced diet that emphasizes vegetables and lean proteins.
Blood sugar levels should be checked during the cause of the day to prevent dangerously low or high sugar levels.
The right amount of insulin has to be administered at the right time.
Talk to your doctor regularly about any changes you are feeling in your body so they can help diagnose and treat the condition before it gets worse.

Why your HbA1C levels are important

One major way to keep diabetes complications at bay is to have a doctor check hemoglobin A1C levels.

This is an even stronger measure of a person’s blood sugar that looks at a profile over a period of 8-12 weeks.

Hemoglobin A1C levels give doctors a much better look at a person’s overall trajectory with diabetes.

Getting this checked regularly is a smart idea.

Closing Thoughts

Now you know!

As a caregiver, you are now equipped with knowledge to help your elderly loved one with diabetes.

If you found this post helpful, please consider sharing it with someone else!

Kidney stones are as painful as they sound.

Anyone who has been through the experience of having kidney stones will confirm this.

One of the things we strive to do here on the blog is to educate you on common healthcare problems you can expect to encounter as a caregiver and how you can offer your assistance when these problems arise.

By the time you’re done reading this post, you will know:

What kidney stones are and symptoms
The kind of medical care you can expect for kidney stones in the elderly
What complications can arise from kidney stones
The kind of support you can provide your elderly loved one during an episode with kidney stones

What are kidney stones?

Kidney stones are hard mineral and salt deposits that form in your kidneys. They can be as small as a grain of sand and you can pass it without even knowing. Or they could be as large enough to prevent a person from passing urine.

Your kidneys are the main organ in your urinary tract and is responsible for creating urine.

Typically there are natural chemicals within your kidney that dissolves salts and minerals. When there is a malfunction in the production of these natural chemicals, kidney stones can form.

While doctors are not completely sure what causes kidney stones, there are certain factors that can increase a person’s risk for kidney stones.

Lack of water. Your kidneys need water in order to produce urine. If a person’s water intake is low, this could lead to kidney stone formation.
Foods that are high in oxalate. In people who are prone to kidney stones, eating foods that are high in oxalate like rhubarb, spinach, beets, wheat germ and peanuts could increase the likelihood of kidney stones. A doctor may thus advise that you restrict the intake of these foods.
Kidney stones can form in response to a urinary tract infection (UTI).
If kidney stones are related to frequent UTIs, UTI monitoring pads may help

https://dependabledaughter.com/product/pixie-smart-pads/
In some instances, there is a hereditary link to kidney stones. In these individuals there is usually an overproduction of the amino acid cysteine because of the disorder.
Obesity.
Digestive problems.

Symptoms of kidney stones in the elderly

The following symptoms are associated with the presence of kidney stones.

Sharp pains in the back, side, lower abdomen and groin
Pink, red or brown blood in urine
A constant need to urinate
Pain while urinating
Difficulty urinating
Cloudy or foul-smelling urine

In severe instances, these symptoms may be accompanied by

nausea
vomiting
fever and
chills

Any or a combination of these symptoms should be reported immediately to a medical professional or health facility.

It is especially important to note that if the kidney stones are being caused by an infection- usually indicated by cloudy or foul-smelling urine- not seeing medical attention could lead to sepsis.

Sepsis is a medical condition where an infection spreads into a person’s blood stream.

Sepsis is especially difficult to treat and can lead to death.

What you can do as a caregiver to support your elderly loved one with kidney stones

Prevention is always better than cure.

Thus, as a caregiver, you can encourage your elderly loved one to drink more fluids so they don’t become dehydrated.

If you suspect the presence of a kidney stone based on the reports of your elderly loved one, report them to a doctor immediately.

Immediate medical attention is the key to making sure there are no complications.

Treatment of kidney stones is based on the size of the kidney stone, where they are located and what type of kidney stone it is.

If the kidney stone is small enough, the doctor may simply send your elderly loved one home with advice to drink more fluids so they can pass the stone while they are urinating.

The doctor may ask that you save the stone and bring it back so they can study what type of stone it is and give you better advise on what to do to reduce the risk that it will happen again.

If the stone is too big to be passed, a specialist doctor called a urologist may use a procedure called shock wave lithotripsy to break up the kidney stone into smaller pieces so they can be passed.

Alternatively, a surgical procedure called percutaneous nephrolithotomy where the doctor goes into the kidney through a small cut in the back to remove the kidney stone. This will require a few days stay in the hospital so the doctors can observe recovery.

It is also possible that the doctor will prescribe medications to prevent kidney stones from forming in the future.

Whatever the case may be, you as a caregiver will be providing support throughout this very painful experience.

Closing Thoughts

As you can see, kidney stones are far from a walk in the park.

In this post, you have learned what kidney stones are, what causes them and what you can expert in terms of medical care for your elderly loved one.

If you found this post useful, please consider sharing it with someone else.

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