Category: Elderly Care

Have you noticed that your elderly loved one keeps asking you to repeat what others say, turning up the volume of the radio or television, recognizing sounds in the background (such as birds chirping or doorbells), and speaks more loudly than necessary? If you have, then your loved one may be having hearing loss.

Age and disease can result in some changes of our feet. In this article, we learn how to keep our feet healthy so that we can feel safer about putting our best foot forward.

It can be scary to think about heart attacks, but because it can be fatal and can even cause sudden death, it is important to be aware of its signs and symptoms. Recognizing a heart attack early will lead to immediate intervention and prevent further complications, as well as save lives.

Food is fuel for the body and can also contribute to healing. In older adults especially, whose metabolism may have changed and who may be predisposed to chronic illnesses, nutrition is very important. In fact, a study has shown that malnutrition is often underdiagnosed and poorly managed in elderly patients. So what makes good food?

Because the elderly are more vulnerable to infections and to developing a greater severity of the disease and because their immune systems take longer to respond, vaccinations can be of great benefit in preventing disease and managing its clinical course.

Osteoarthritis is the most common age-related joint disease that affects more than 80% of people older than 55 years of age. Arthritis of the knee and hip joints can make daily activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, and self-care, particularly difficult. Quality of life is therefore reduced, physically, emotionally, and socially.

Throughout life, there is continuous remodeling of bone, as bone is being lost and renewed. However, due to aging, more bone is lost than renewed, resulting in lower bone density than normal. This makes bones thin and weak, especially in wrist, spine and hip. Unfortunately, there are no clear-cut warning signs for osteoporosis until your loved one suffers from a fracture or has a noticeable stoop and change in posture.

One of the most common eye conditions in the elderly are cataracts. The most common type of cataracts are age-related, called senile cataracts. This happens when the lens in your eyes, which used to be clear, becomes cloudy due to the degradation and clumping of proteins. Over time, this cataract worsens, and you will require surgery and an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) in place.