Creating a Care Approach for a Senior with Osteoporosis

Home Care in East Brunswick NJ

Creating a care approach for any elderly adult is challenging. When that elderly adult is suffering from osteoporosis, however, you will need to make special considerations to ensure that your loved one stays strong, healthy, and safe throughout their later years. May is National Osteoporosis Month. During this month, find out ways that you can help your aging parent maintain a high quality of life even while dealing with the challenges of osteoporosis.

Use these tips to help you create a care approach for a senior with osteoporosis:

• Understand their condition. Just knowing that your parent has received a diagnosis of osteoporosis is not enough. You must know how progressed the condition is in order to properly care for and manage it. Seniors who are in only early stages of the disease with bone density that just qualifies for the diagnosis of osteoporosis can enjoy more activity and have a higher chance of preventing fractures than those who are deeper into the disease.

• Team up with their doctor. Your parent’s doctor is your greatest ally in this journey. Make sure that you remain in close contact with this medical professional so that you can ask questions, get clarification, and work together to develop a course of treatment and management that is right for your parent’s personality and healthcare goals. This includes understanding and following all guidelines put forth by this doctor. If you do not understand a particular recommendation or medication guideline, make sure that you ask about it and get the clarification that you need. This will help you ensure your parent remains properly compliant.

• Offer emotional support. A diagnosis of osteoporosis can be stressful for your parent. They might suddenly feel fragile or weak, or start thinking about their own mortality. Do not let this keep them from enjoying a high quality of life. Be there to offer emotional support and to encourage your parent to live as active and fulfilling a lifestyle as possible.

• Encourage activity. It is easy for your aging parent to feel overwhelmed and frightened when facing a diagnosis of osteoporosis. This can contribute to them avoiding activity, staying at home, and becoming isolated. Not only is this detrimental to their mental and emotional health, but it can also worsen the condition and actually make your parent more vulnerable to fractures and other concerns. Encourage your parent to continue to participate in activities that they enjoy, but with modifications as necessary to keep them safe. Make sure that they always use proper precautions when participating in activities that could be dangerous. For example, biking can be an exceptional form of physical activity, but it can also be hazardous. Make sure that they wear a helmet and proper pads any time they go out.

A home care provider can be a fantastic help when planning care for a senior with osteoporosis. This care provider can be there to encourage your parent, explore new activities, and offer assistance when necessary to protect them while keeping them as engaged as possible.

Source
http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/guide/osteoporosis_treatment_care

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in East Brunswick, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care of New Brunswick today. Call (732) 607-8870.