Geriatric Care: Here Is What You Can Do
What Is Geriatric Care?
Geriatric care is the process of planning and managing the care of the elderly to meet their regular care needs, improve their quality of life, and maintain their independence.
Why Is Geriatric Care Important?
According to research published on Statisa, it was estimated that 29% of the adults aged 65 years and older suffer fall accidents. Another study estimated that there would be 5.8 million people aged 65 and over with Alzheimer’s in 2020.
With this in mind, it is important to provide geriatric care and work on preventing it. If you are concerned about an older parent’s health, here is how you can address the various health issues.
Review All the Medications Regularly
According to CDC, older adults (age 65 and more) have visited emergency departments 450,000 times a year due to adverse drug events. During these visits, most of the hospitalizations were due to the drugs that require regular monitoring.
Older adults are affected by insulin, blood thinners, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, and medications that lower blood pressure.
So, to avoid the potential risks, it is the best to review the medications and ensure that your loved ones are taking the proper doses. You can also work with the doctor or a pharmacist to help you better understand your loved one’s ailments.
Learn to Recognize Cognitive Impairment
A 2012 study published on the NCBI shows that approximately 26% to 40% of older adults who visit the emergency departments of hospitals have some form of cognitive impairment.
Common causes of cognitive impairment include dementia, delirium, and Alzheimer’s. Try to recognize it in a timely manner or have a mental assessment performed, as failure to do so may lead to falls, chronically poor disposition, and other health issues.
Help Them Maintain Better Leg Strength and Balance
The two most common causes of falls in older adults are poor balance and leg strength.
Make sure you check their strength and balance regularly with tests such as timed up and downs, the four stage balance test, and other balance assessment analysis. These can be found with a quick Google search. However, it is best to perform these checks with the help of a professional or certified senior home care provider.
Motivate Them to Walk More
Walking is one of the easiest ways to stay active. According to a study published in the Arthritis Care and Research Journal, people who walk 6,000 steps a day have fewer problems with standing, walking, and climbing. Have them start with smaller numbers of steps and increase the steps with every passing week or as required by their medical conditions.
At last, remember that aging is not a disease. It just increases an individual’s susceptibility to many health issues and conditions.
How to Take Care of a Person Who is a Geriatric Patient?
The first step to caring for an elderly aging person is to acknowledge that geriatric patients require more time and resources. Another factor that you need to consider is that they often have subtle symptoms of serious conditions. To take care of a geriatric patient, keep a check on their health records, persuade them to perform physical activities, and consult a physician for a periodic medicine reviews.
Importantly, proper senior home care can also help the patients to work through their disabilities or prevent them. Home care aides work closely with the patients and provide personalized care so that they can enjoy their independence and security in their own homes. However, make sure the home care aides have prior training in senior care and other health service areas.