Your mom was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Her medical team is working closely with her to monitor her symptoms and their progression. One suggestion they have is to arrange elder care services to help her during flare-ups.
What can elder care do to help her? You know she may go through remissions where she won’t need as much help. Can elder care adapt to these remissions and flare-ups? One of the biggest benefits of elder care is that it’s easily adjusted to meet your mom’s needs.
Sit down with your mom and ask for her to go over the daily routines she has a hard time completing on her own. That list helps you schedule the services that match her needs. Here are the things you should know about rheumatoid arthritis and the benefits of elder care.
The Stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis
In the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis, your mom’s joints become inflamed. That inflammation leads to swelling that makes the joints stiff and sore. As the inflammation progresses, it can damage the cartilage and limit a joint’s movement.
By stage 3, the inflammation and joint damage are severe. The bones in your mom’s joints may shift. This increases pain and loss of motion. She’ll need help completing many of her daily chores. She may eventually need a joint replacement surgery.
If your mom reaches a point where surgery is required, she needs to have elder care aides available to help her with all daily activities. If you start her with caregivers early in the disease, she’ll be familiar with her aides, which reduces stress as her needs increase.
What Care Will Your Mom Need?
Controlling the inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis is essential. Your mom will have exercises to do each day and medications to take. If she often forgets to take her pills, arrange medication reminders with her elder care aides.
Her doctors may advise that she loses weight. If so, have a caregiver assist her on daily walks. She might be more motivated to get outside and walk at a brisk pace when she’s not alone.
If the pain is impacting your mom’s grip or stamina, her elder care aide can do the housework. Hire elder care aides to cook meals, do the laundry, make beds, and run a vacuum. Her caregiver can wipe down counters, wash the dishes, and tidy up each day.
Your mom’s joint stiffness and pain will likely lead to her needing to give up driving. If she can’t properly grip a steering wheel, turn to check blind spots, or press a brake and gas pedal, she needs to hand over the keys. Have her elder care aide handle the transportation.
As your mom’s arthritis worsens, you can adapt her care plan to meet her current needs. Arrange elder care services today. You’ll work closely with her caregivers to ensure her needs are always being met. Call to learn more.
If you are considering elder care in Houston, TX, for an aging loved one, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- What Does Home Care Do to Support Family Caregivers? - December 20, 2024
- Fun, Brain-boosting Activities for Seniors - December 20, 2024
- Socialization is Vital for Seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease - December 13, 2024
