Weight Gain

Weight gain can be a bad sign if your elderly family member has heart failure. Changes in her weight aren’t necessarily because she’s eating more or because she’s doing anything wrong. Sudden weight gain, especially of around 3 to 5 pounds, overnight or over a couple of days can mean that she’s retaining more water than she realizes. This is directly related to heart failure and can mean that her medications aren’t working well.

Swelling in the Extremities

Swelling in the extremities, or edema is something else your elderly family member might experience. Edema occurs when there’s too much fluid in the body and it pools in the lower legs, feet, and even in the abdomen. The heart isn’t able to keep up with the fluid, which causes the buildup. Some medications can help to reduce edema, but suddenly experiencing swelling is a cause for concern and your senior’s medical team needs to know what’s happening.

Blood Pressure Levels

Blood pressure levels are also a good indicator of how your senior’s heart failure is progressing. Using a home monitor is easy to do, but home health care providers can remind your senior and help keep track of the results. Your senior’s doctor may want to adjust the medications that she’s taking depending on how blood pressure levels fluctuate.

Fluid Intake

Drinking plenty of water and staying properly hydrated is important, but for people with heart failure, there is such a thing as too much fluid in one day. If your elderly family member does drink too much, she runs the risk of overwhelming her kidneys and her heart. Tracking fluid intake and making sure that it hits that happy medium is vital.

Poor Sleep

When your elderly family member isn’t getting good sleep, her body is less able to keep up with the demands of her heart failure. Getting better sleep can feel more complicated than your senior is prepared for it to be, however. Addressing sleep hygiene issues, like making sure she has a sleep schedule and her bedroom is comfortable for sleep, can make a big difference.

Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath is not a symptom you might associate with heart failure, but it is a symptom directly related to heart failure. Fluid accumulation and congestion in the lungs make it difficult for the lungs to do their job, and that places more strain on the heart. Shortness of breath while exercising is one thing, but it’s particularly concerning when it happens while your senior is at rest.

Being able to keep tabs on all of these symptoms on a regular basis is crucial for your senior as she battles heart failure. Home health care providers can help your elderly family member to keep her doctor informed about what symptoms she’s experiencing regularly.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Cherry Hill, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Attentive Care Inc. at 1-800-493-5660

The post 6 Types of Symptoms to Watch for with Heart Failure appeared first on Attentive Care, Inc..

Get Paperwork and Permissions in Place ASAP

When you’re a family caregiver, you’ll likely be managing a lot of your parents’ appointment scheduling. You’re also going to be the one that takes them to and from medical appointments.

Get paperwork in place as quickly as you can. Your parents’ doctors cannot speak to you unless HIPAA privacy paperwork is properly filled out. A medical power of attorney helps with decision making if your parents can’t speak for themselves.

Rely on Friends and Family

Talk to close friends and family members. If others can stay with your parents from time to time, it will help you out. Caregiving can be very demanding work. You don’t want to have so much to do that you get overwhelmed.

Join a Support Group

Carers need to be able to vent. Sometimes, family members don’t cut it. You’ll find that the best way to vent your frustrations, fears, and stresses is by finding a group of people in your shoes. A support group is ideal. You’ll find several great groups online and others in local churches, senior centers, and hospitals.

Don’t Let Nutritional Needs Slip

After a long day of cooking and cleaning for your parents, you may not be in a mood to cook. You stop and get fast food, pizza, or Chinese. Over time, the poor nutritional content is going to drag you down.

Instead of relying on takeout meals, work on quick and healthy meals. You can prep the items on slower days and have them in the freezer. Before you leave for your parents, pull out the items you need and have them thawing while you’re away.

Prioritize Daily Tasks

Prioritize the important tasks and get those done first. Anything that’s left can be completed by yourself or others as there is time. Things that are most important are medication reminders, personal care and hygiene, meals, and keeping up with appointments.

Leave an Hour a Day for Yourself

Do not ignore your own needs. Try to guarantee that you have an hour to yourself. During that hour, shut others and distractions out and read a book, play a game, watch your favorite show, take a bath, or go for a walk. Do whatever relaxes you or helps you release stress.

Hire Elder Care Services

Elder care should be the first thing every family caregiver discusses with the family. You may not need elder care services every day, but there will be times you need to rely on professional caregivers. If you have a bad cold, you should be at home resting. A caregiver can take over while you recuperate.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Cherry Hill, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Attentive Care Inc. 1-800-493-5660

The post Seven Tips for the New Family Caregiver appeared first on Attentive Care, Inc..