Helping to Provide Relief from Arthritis through Elder Care

Arthritis is one of the most common ailments that affect seniors. It can begin well before the person reaches retirement age, and it can be extremely painful, or mild, depending on the type of arthritis and how advanced that it is. There are some things that can be done through elder care, though, that can help to provide relief to the individual dealing with it.

Understand Arthritis

There are several different types of arthritis, each having a different impact on the patient and their ability to get things done. The most common form of arthritis is known as osteoarthritis. This is a progressive degenerative joint disease and it will become more painful and make it more difficult for the individual to move the affected joints as they age.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that causes inflammation of the membranes in the lining of the joints. This can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, and it can even lead to damage of the joints.

Juvenile arthritis is used to describe other general types of arthritis that generally develop among children under the age of 16, and can be with them their entire life.

How to Help Seniors with Arthritis

When you are providing elderly home care for patients with arthritis, be aware of the symptoms that they exhibit when the pain or swelling gets to be too much for them. You may notice that they hold their hands close to their body when the arthritis is acting up. They may avoid certain tasks, too.

For example, when the elderly patient is having a bad day with their arthritis, you may be able to help by cooking for them, washing the dishes, or taking on any tasks that might normally require them to grip something, which can cause pain.

You can also be able to provide them with health related relief, such as offering them a hot compress or even medication, such as Aleve. While there are going to be limits to what you can do to help them with the actual pain, sometimes people suffer more because they try to do too much. In those instances, the more you can do to help them, the more you’re going to be able to do to actually alleviate their pain.

If you’re caring for a loved one and trying to figure out what you can do to help more, contact a home care agency and they may be able to provide you with strategies that can alleviate the pain and discomfort. Elder care services may also be able to come to their home and assist one a regular basis as well.