Home Care Assistance: As older adults age, their respiratory system ages too which can present problems that are hard to understand.
This system goes through several changes as someone ages and can cause several issues that are hard to deal with alone. If this is happening to a senior, it may be time to consider hiring an elder care assistant. Some common health conditions can affect older adults more than other people.
Hiring home care assistance care can be one of the best ways to ensure a senior keeps up with their health and attends doctor’s appointments for their respiratory problems. The most common respiratory issues with seniors are respiratory tract infections, pulmonary diseases, and bronchial asthma.
Families who have senior loved ones often feel lost or like they have no idea what’s happening in the person’s life. This can make it hard to understand how to keep them healthy. Hiring outside help is a way to keep a loved one safe and happy. It also ensures they have company and keep them living comfortably even while a family can’t always be around.
Common Respiratory Problems in Seniors and Symptoms
There are a few common diseases that are particularly common in the senior community. If a family member or caregiver notices any of the symptoms below, it is important to take the senior to the doctor. Elder care works best when there is an entire support system backing them up.
Respiratory Tract Infections
Many things can cause respiratory tract infections like the common cold, acute ear infections, or pneumonia. If a senior starts experiencing nausea or dizziness, it’s time to go to the doctor’s office for a checkup.
Minor symptoms that need to monitoring include things like:
- Coughing (phlegm)
- Sneezing
- Congestions
- Runny nose
- Body aches
- Fatigue
Elder care assistants can help monitor the overall health of a senior. They can record medications, changes in mood, and can help take a senior to the doctor’s.
Pulmonary Diseases
Pulmonary diseases include asthma, COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, occupational lung diseases, and pulmonary hypertension. Some of the symptoms of pulmonary illnesses are the same and will need to be treated with medicine, so an elder care assistant needs to pay attention to any symptoms.
Signs or symptoms of COPD include:
- Lack of energy
- Asthma
- Chronic cough full of phlegm
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness
- Weight loss
- Swelling in the feet
If a caregiver notices a fever or symptoms are not going away, it is time to go to the doctor with the senior. A caregiver will help remind the senior to take their medicine if prescribed any for the disease or infection.
Bronchial Asthma
There are different kinds of asthma, like exercise-induced, occupational, and allergy-induced asthma. It could even be air pollutants. Keep in mind that this disease can affect anyone at any age. However, seniors may have a tough time dealing with it and may need an inhaler from the doctor.
Pay attention to these symptoms:
- Tightness of chest
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing attacks
Home Care Assistance: Conclusion
An elder care assistant will be able to help monitor a senior after a diagnosis of asthma. Home care assistance will be able to record when it happens and what possible triggers are around at the time. This will help a doctor come up with better medication to help limit asthma attacks.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care Assistance in Cave Creek, AZ, please contact the caring staff at Home Care Resources at (602) 443-4700
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
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