Stroke can be caused by a few different things. Sometimes a stroke is caused by a blood vessel in the brain breaking. Stroke can also be caused by a blood clot that occurs in the brain or one that travels to the brain from elsewhere in the body. After a stroke, doctors try to determine what caused it. Most of the time, they can figure it out. However, there are times when the cause just isn’t apparent. When that happens,...
Heart failure is a condition that occurs when the heart muscle becomes too weak or too stiff to efficiently pump blood throughout the body. It is usually caused by underlying conditions that affect the heart muscle. There is no cure for heart failure but managing the conditions that cause it can prevent it from happening or help to better manage existing heart failure. Kinds of Heart Failure Heart failure doesn’t always affect the entire heart. It can occur on just...
Sarcoidosis was once believed to be a rare disease. Today, experts say that it is quite common and happens in people across the globe. It occurs in people of all ages and across ethnicities, though it is more prevalent in people of African American and Scandinavian descent. It can also affect any area of the body. However, it most commonly affects the lungs. What is Sarcoidosis? Sarcoidosis causes small lumps, called granulomas, to develop in clusters in parts of the...
Melanoma is a type of skin disease that affects millions of Americans each year. Elderly adults are at a high risk of developing melanoma and it can often go undiagnosed and untreated for far too long. Aging adults often have a hard time identifying the symptoms of melanoma and must rely on family caregivers and home health care providers to help. If everyone is on the lookout for symptoms of melanoma on the senior’s skin, the odds of early detection...
Has your elderly mom or dad developed speech problems in recent months? It’s common for aging adults to experience health issues that affect their speech. As their family caregiver, you want the best for them, and getting them professional help for their speech issues is a key part of overseeing their health issues. There’s no better time to learn more about speech issues in seniors. As the top method of communication between humans, speech is extremely important in seniors. Losing...
Your mom has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She needs to start checking her blood sugar levels. She needs to watch what she eats. It's not going to be easy. Many foods have sugars hidden within them. Sometimes, sugar is an added ingredient in things you'd never expect to contain them. The American Heart Association recommends women do not exceed 25 grams of sugar per day. Some foods will quickly put your mom over that limit. Store-bought bread, flavored...
January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. As a family caregiver, this is the ideal opportunity for you to learn more about this health issue that can negatively impact your senior's function, health, and well-being so you can step in to help them manage it in the best way possible. Being well-educated about the issues and challenges your senior may face enables you to give them the highest quality care and ensure they are able to manage them in the best...
A stroke describes the condition that results when a person’s brain does not receive adequate blood supply due to a burst or blocked blood vessel. This deprivation causes brain cells to die, and the results range from minor to severe. Elderly adults are at a high risk for a stroke, and the recovery can be long and challenging. For seniors who want to recover from the effects of a stroke in their own home, they need to look at building...
Arthritis causes painful swelling in the joints, making normal daily movement difficult. When it comes to something that used to be as simple as getting dressed, your senior may find that arthritis wins more often than she'd like it to win. Pick Looser Fitting Clothing Clothing that is tight or extremely fitted can be more difficult to get onto your senior. She may have to stretch farther than is comfortable for her current range of motion in order to get...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex disease that attacks the nerves that control muscles. It’s a progressive disease that leads to total disability and death. Though it has received media attention in recent years with the ice bucket challenge and a significant advance in treatment, many people are still unfamiliar with the disease. Most people know it better by the name “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” But they may not know why the disease is called that or who the man...
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