Thousands of elderly people have a stroke each year. As a family caregiver, this may be something that you worried about all the time with your elderly loved one. Did they have a stroke? If so, there are some obstacles they are likely going to face. Learning about these obstacles now can help you and their senior home care providers to better prepare for them.  

Physical Obstacles 

There are going to be some physical obstacles that your elderly loved one is going to face. The difficulties your elderly loved one has will vary depending on the severity of the stroke. However, some of the physical obstacles you and your elderly loved one should be prepared for include: 

• Not being able to walk well or at all 
• Limb weakness 
• Higher risk of falls 
• Trouble swallowing food 
• Chronic pain 
• Headaches and migraines 
• Fatigue 

Watching your elderly loved one deal with these challenges can be tough. They may need a lot more care due to these obstacles, as well. If this is the case, hiring senior home care providers may be the best option. The senior  home care providers can help your elderly loved one to manage these issues and to help with activities they can no longer do.  

Communication Obstacles 

People who have a stroke often suffer from communication issues. The severity of these issues can vary a lot, just like the physical challenges. Some of the communication obstacles that your elderly loved one may be faced with include: 

• Slurred speech which makes it difficult to understand them  
• Difficulties interacting socially due to communication issues 
• Easily distracted, so they don’t pay close attention to others when they are speaking 
• Can’t always stay on topic during conversations 

These are some of the different obstacles that may arise when your elderly loved one is trying to communicate with someone after a stroke. It is important to try being patient with your elderly loved one. Hopefully, with some time, they can improve at least some of their communications. 

Emotional Obstacles 

Having a stroke can be a very emotional experience. Sure, there are the physical and communication challenges that occur after a stroke. However, your elderly loved one could also experience the following:

• PTSD 
• Depression 
• Anxiety 
• Stress 
• Severe mood swings 

Need for Extra Help from Senior Home Care Services

The emotional aftermath of a stroke can take a huge toll on your elderly loved one. They may need you or a senior home care provider to be around all the time. Having company and companionship might help your elderly loved one to handle these emotional issues much better. 

These are some obstacles that your elderly loved one might face if they had a stroke. Now that you know about these issues, you can better prepare yourself for what is likely to occur.  

Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_stroke.htm 
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Post-Stroke-Rehabilitation-Fact-Sheet 

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

Lyme disease is the most common insect transmitted disease in the United States and Canada. It is transmitted by infected black-legged and deer ticks when they attach themselves to their hosts. In the early stages, it can cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, achiness, and fatigue. Often presenting with a bulls-eye rash, it can also infect a person without ever having a rash. If not treated in its early stages, long-term health conditions of the joints, heart, or nervous system can occur.  An elderly care aide can be there to help prevent it by following these tips.

While it may seem the best way for your parent to avoid Lyme disease is to not go outside during the spring months, this may not be a feasible request or even a desired request. The benefits of getting outside and enjoying nature are tremendous, especially if you live in an area that experiences a long winter.

So instead of avoiding going outside at all, help your parent take some precautionary steps before she heads to the back yard or parks to prevent Lyme disease. 

Wear pants and socks (have your parent tuck her pants into her socks if she can) in wooded areas, areas with lots of tall grasses, and while handling fallen leaves. It can be hard if the weather is warm but preventing a tick from crawling up the leg and immediately attaching itself to the body is a good way to prevent Lyme disease (and the need to remove a tick from the body).  

Apply tick repellent that has DEET, lemon oil, or eucalyptus on exposed skin and all clothing. Tick repellent will confuse the tick so it cannot determine if you are a possible host or not. Don’t forget to spray your parent’s shoes and pants as most ticks come from the ground and work their way up the body. Your parent should never use DEET on her hands and should make sure to wash off any tick repellant applied to her skin as soon as she’s back inside.  

Take a shower within 2 hours after coming inside, if possible. This will not only remove any tick repellant on your parent’s skin, it will also give her a chance to inspect her body for any ticks that may have hitched a ride. It will also get your parent out of the clothes she was wearing outside. 

Examine all areas of the body and wash ticks out of the hair with the help from elderly care aides. Since many areas of the body are hard to see without a lot of twisting, turning and multiple mirrors, have your elderly care provider examine your parent’s back and scalp for any ticks that may already be attached after the shower.  

Put clothing and any exposed gear into a hot dryer to kill whatever pests might remain. If your parent doesn’t have immediate access to a dryer, put the clothes in a sealed plastic bag until she is able to have her elderly care provider wash and dry her clothes.  

If a pet was with your parent, she should examine the pet as soon as they are back inside as well. Pets can also get Lyme disease and/or ticks can climb off a pet and onto your parent once inside.  

Most times, ticks are just an icky nuisance but being aware of how to prevent a tick bite a possibly be infected with Lyme disease will make your parent’s spring much more enjoyable.  Having elderly care services and assist in their outdoor experiences.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html 

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