When elderly adults are diagnosed with kidney disease, it can quickly cause their lives to be disrupted as they learn to deal with the symptoms of the condition and the side effects of the treatment process, known as dialysis. With kidney disease, aging adults face plenty of health issues and family caregivers must provide the support and care they need to get through it. When it comes to dialysis, however, most family caregivers are not aware of what they can do to provide the best help to elderly loved ones. 

A Little About Kidney Disease in Seniors 

When the kidneys are diseased, they cannot filter the blood properly, leaving too many toxins behind. Without the kidneys doing their job, seniors can become very sick as the waste builds up and starts to affect the body. There is no medicinal cure for kidney disease, and many seniors are ineligible for a kidney transplant. Dialysis is a treatment that can keep the blood clean and essentially save their lives. 

Without treatment, kidney disease can be fatal, so it’s important that aging adults follow their doctor’s orders exactly. This means regular dialysis at a hospital, clinic or special treatment center. Seniors who are dependent on a family caregiver are usually not living independently and therefore cannot make appointments or drive themselves to the treatment location. Aging adults must rely on their family members to get them to dialysis ass often as they need to. 

Dialysis and Aging Adults 

The doctor will recommend how frequently the aging adult needs to attend a dialysis treatment. Depending on the severity of the kidney disease, doctors could recommend anywhere from a few times per month to several times each week. The process itself takes several hours at a time, as the elderly adult rests on a couch or bed as they are hooked up to specialized equipment. The equipment routes the blood out of the body, filters it, and then returns the cleaned blood to the body.  

Side effects of dialysis include fatigue, nausea, muscle cramps, blood clotting issues, possible infections, malnutrition and dry skin. These side effects can be hard to bear in addition to the symptoms of the kidney disease itself. Family caregivers often hire homecare providers to help their aging loved one rest comfortably in their home. Homecare providers are experienced in caring for seniors with physical or cognitive issues. When a professional is looking after their elderly loved one, many family caregivers feel more comfortable than if their loved one was alone. 

Dialysis is extremely important for aging adults with kidney disease, but seniors cannot take full advantage of it without the dedication and compassion of their family caregivers and homecare providers. Forming a strong support team is necessary for aging adults to be able to thrive despite a diagnosis of kidney disease and the subsequent dialysis treatments.  

If you or an aging loved one are considering Homecare Services in Chicago IL, contact the caring staff at Gentle Home Services. Call today (800) 860-9823.

Homecare Chicago IL
 
Being a family caregiver for your aging parent is one of the best ways that you can show your love, respect, and consideration for your senior, and feel as though you are giving them the quality of life that they deserve. No matter how devoted you are to your loved one and the homecare efforts that you want to give to them, however, you may have limitations that keep you from being able to comfortably and adequately fulfill their needs. Being honest with yourself about these care limitations can help you to identify areas in your care journey where you may need additional support and assistance so that you can ensure that your parent gets the care that they need. Accepting these limitations can also help to relieve your stress and prevent damaging, upsetting, and even dangerous situations throughout your homecare experience.  
 
Some care limitations that you might have include: 

• Time. Especially if you are a member of the sandwich generation caring for your children as well as your parent, your schedule is likely extremely busy. You might not have the time to handle all of their care tasks in the way that they need. This can mean not being able to get to their home as often as you would like, or not being able to provide them with the transportation that they need to get where they need and want to go. 

• Physical capability. Many elderly adults have challenges that require direct physical assistance, such as helping them walk around, get in and out of the tub, or transfer in and out of bed or the car. You may also need to be able to handle other physical challenges such as taking care of the house. If you do not have the strength, stamina, flexibility, or physical health to handle these tasks, you could place yourself or your aging parent in a dangerous situation. You must be honest with yourself about what you can physically handle to keep both of you safe.
 
• Emotional tolerance. Facing some of the challenges and limitations that your parent has can be extremely stressful and upsetting to you. Especially if your parent has always been very modest and reserved but now needs assistance with potentially sensitive tasks such as bathing or dressing, you may face great emotional strain. Accepting that this is a limitation for you enables you to put the alternative care option in place that will make sure these care tasks are handled effectively, safely, and respectfully, while limiting the stress and emotional difficulty both of you face.  
 
If you have come to terms with the reality that you have limitations to your care efforts that will keep you from being able to meet your parent's needs and challenges in the way that is right for them, now is the ideal time for you to consider home care. An in-home health care services provider can step in to fill these care gaps to ensure that your parent gets the care, support, and assistance that they need to live their highest quality of life possible. This care provider can create a personalized approach to care that takes into consideration the scheduling that is right for your parent and for you, as well as your care limitations and how they impact the care that your loved one needs. This means that your parent can live a happy, healthy, active, safe, and comfortable lifestyle with maximum independence and autonomy as they can as they age in place.  ​

If you or an aging loved one are considering Homecare Services Chicago IL, contact the caring staff at Gentle Home Services. Call today (800) 860-9823.