Home Care Services: When caring for a senior citizen, one aspect of their health that you should pay close attention to is their heart.
There are far too many elderly people who aren’t seeing a doctor when they experience heart health issues. You don’t have to let this happen for your elderly loved one. In fact, it may be a good idea to learn about the common heart failure signs in senior citizens today. If you or a home care services provider recognize these in your elderly loved one, make sure you get your elderly loved one in to see a doctor as soon as possible. If the symptoms seem urgent, get them to the emergency room.
Fatigue
Does your elderly loved one seem very fatigued all the time? If so, this could be a sign that their heart isn’t pumping blood as well as it should be. It is especially important that the heart has good blood flow as that helps to keep all the organs functioning as they should. If you or a senior care provider notice that your elderly loved one never seems to have energy discuss that with them. Then, you and your elderly loved one can talk to their doctor about it, as well.
Limitations with Activities
Is your elderly loved one not taking part in as many activities as they were previously? This can happen as people get older. However, if this doesn’t seem to be caused by physical pain or mental health issues, it could be due to heart failure or other heart-related issues. If you or a home Care Services provider notice your elderly loved one is short of breath or fatigued, especially when they aren’t doing much at all, get them in to see their doctor.
Congestion
If your elderly loved one is experiencing heart failure, they may have congestion. This symptom is usually one of the first ones regarding heart failure. The reason for congestion in these cases is that fluid builds up in the person’s lungs. When that happens, it can cause wheezing and other breathing difficulties.
Edema
Your elderly loved one could have edema if they are experiencing heart failure. Edema is when there is swelling. With heart failure, the swelling is likely to be in the ankles, legs, thighs, or abdomen. This is because the heart isn’t properly flowing blood throughout the body. If your elderly loved one is experiencing this type of swelling, you or a home care provider should take them to see their doctor. If the swelling is severe, make sure your elderly loved one seeks urgent or emergent medical attention.
Home Care Services: Conclusion
These are some of the heart failure signs that you and Home Care Services providers should watch for in your elderly loved one. If these things are noticed, don’t hesitate to get your elderly loved one in to see their primary care doctor or cardiologist. If the symptoms seem emergent, don’t hesitate to take your elderly loved one into the emergency room.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering hiring Home Care Services in Barrington, IL, please contact the caring staff at A Mishle Group Services, Inc. today. (630) 888-6644
Sources
https://www.hfsa.org/