Step Safely into Fall

Fall is a wonderful time of year.  There is a fresh chill in the morning air.  The sky seems a brighter blue.  The trees show off their splash of Autumn color.   However many of us see a different picture when we hear the word “fall”.  As a healthcare provider I see fractured hips, black eyes, broken glasses, embarrassment, hospitalization and even death.  Falls and the subsequent health related challenges after a fall have gotten the attention of the US Council on Aging.  They have designated the first day of fall, Sept 23, 2014, as Falls Prevention Awareness Day.  So this time of year I see both the beauty of the fall season and the tragedy of a painful physical fall.

Many of us have an elderly family member or friend that has experienced a fall. One out of every three people over the age of 65 will experience a fall this year.  Falls produce about 25% of hospital admissions. These falls can result in injury ranging from shattered confidence to a shattered hip or even worse.   It is likely that if your loved one hasn’t experienced a fall, they eventually will.

So what can you do?  What can I do?  What can we do?  Can we as family and friends make a difference?  If we talk about the problem and possible injuries without solutions, we will only promote “the fear of falling.”  When the elderly are fearful about falling, they tend to stay indoors more.  They tend to walk and move less which gradually diminishes strength, coordination, endurance and reflexes.  As one has less strength, coordination, endurance and slower reflexes, the chance of falling increases.  So we need to lovingly share the dangers of falls along with some simple strategies that limit fall risk.

The following are a few some basic steps that will help you and your loved ones diminish the fall risk:

• Step #1  Learn about fall prevention.  There are many websites and brochures that give excellent advice for fall prevention strategies.  The Public Health Agency of Canada has excellent information on their website www.publichealth.gc.ca . The Providence of British Columbia has additional fall prevention information  www.health.gov.bc.ca/prevention/fallprevention.  There are many many more resources available on the internet as well.
• Step #2  Watch for the right time to gently express your concerns about potential falls to your elderly family and friends.  Make sure you do not imply that you want to take away their independence.  And make certain it does no appear that you are telling them what to do.  They are adults.  Treat them with dignity and respect.  Look for opportunities to share open conversation about the issues.
• Step #3  Be prepared to share the information you have learned from the step #1. This could be through conversation with them or by sharing printed fall prevention material.
• Step #4  Once an elderly family member or friend becomes aware of unsafe areas in their home, they may want to make changes in their home to diminish their fall risk.  Offer to help them.  Maybe they need physical help or just encouragement and moral support.
• Step #5  Encourage regular physician visits and proper medication management.  Often the elderly are taking many medications improperly.  This can significantly increase the risk of falls.  Encourage discussion with the physician about the medications needed, side effects of those medications, and strategies for medication compliance.
• Step #6  Encourage yearly eye exams.  As we age, our vision can change quickly but the elderly may not notice the changes.   Vision deficits and changes in vision significantly increase fall risk.
• Step #7   Encourage participation in physician approved exercise programs.  Consider a  referral to a physiotherapist who can customize an exercise routine which will take into consideration present health limitations, exercise preferences, and educate them regarding safety during exercise.  Regular exercise will maintain or improve endurance, muscle strength, balance, reflexes and flexibility which are all factors in fall prevention.
• Step #8  Encourage proper footwear. Slip on type footwear with an open heel are not stable or supportive.  Encourage supportive footwear with nonskid soles.  Make certain that the shoes fit well.  Your physician, podiatrist of physiotherapist should be able to advise you.
• Step #9  Encourage consistent healthy meals and adequate fluid intake.  There are many elderly who fall simply because of mild dehydration or blood sugar fluctuations from lack of consistent meals. There are several ways you can help in this area:  offer to assist with meal planning, transportation to the grocery store, write down daily activity and meal schedule, cook together, share meals from your own home, or connect them with local community meal providers.
• Step #10  Stay in contact.  Keep connected.  Visit often.  Notice any changes in their walking pattern, their communication, their weight, and their personal hygiene.  Be ready to contact a healthcare provider if changes are noted.

So let’s make this fall season about something more than only enjoying the beautiful scenery.  Let’s be proactive and help those we love to stay as active and independent as possible.   Let’s encourage our elderly friends and family to stay healthy so they can enjoy the fall season this year and for many years to come.

Happy Fall Ya’ll!

Vision and hearing loss are quite common in the old age. People over the age of 60 years gradually lose the efficiency of hearing over sounds and respond at the exact moment. The hearing impairment poses difficulty for the elderly people barring them from leading a normal life. One of the major causes of gradual loss of hearing in people over the age of 55 years is the Presbyacusis. Over 40% of the hearing loss in old age emerges from Presbyacusis that gradually reduces the ability of hearing the sounds of variant frequencies with equal perfection. In some rare cases, the loss of hearing ability may result from ear infections that are curable through medication.

Communicating with Seniors with Hearing Impairment

Your elderly relative with hearing loss may be under severe stress due to difficulty in communicating, hearing signals, doorbell, alarms and other sounds. It is very important that the family members of these people maintain enough patience and assort the following measures to ensure easing out the new condition until the problem is resolved. Here are some basic practices to ease the life and communication of the elderly patients with hearing impairment:

• Do not talk with the person from a greater distance to ensure proper hearing
• Sit face to face for a conversation at least once or twice to keep him in comfort
• Speak very slowly with proper accent, possibly at a louder pitch and proper lip movement for better understanding. Avoid shouting and anger to keep the person easy going
• Address the person with the name so that he can understand that you are talking to him to eliminate the chances of any missing gap during the conversation
• Maintain silence except the conversation to keep the external sounds from disturbing the hearing. Keep your TV, music system or radio in mute condition during the important conversations
• Do not stop speaking to the person, as it can be hurting emotionally. Maintain a soft gesture to keep the person comfortable during the session

Hearing Aid for Elderly People

Though family co-operation and elderly care plays a crucial role in protecting the older adults with hearing difficulties from severities but nothing can compensate the loss as the hearing aid that helps the person to face various circumstances.

Hearing Aid: The hearing aid is a small device placed on the ears that help the ears to receive amplified sounds for better understanding. The devices available in the market today are very advanced but the patients may take some time to adjust with the hearing aid as there are differences in natural hearing and device based assistance.

Middle Ear Implant: As the name suggests, a small hearing device is implanted in the middle ear area to catch the vibrations that produced due to any sort of sound. The option is convenient considering the fact that the patients get complete freedom from wearing any device on their ears.

Cochlear Implants: With gradual ageing, the hearing loss condition worsens to the extent that the ordinary devices may not be able to fulfill the purpose. The cochlear implant is the ultimate solution for immense hearing impairment due to the damaged cochlear cells. The process requires a small device implant into the cochlear area of the ears. The patients will have to put a small microphone on their ears that transmit the signals from the external speech processor into the implant to provide precise hearing.

Electric Acoustic Stimulation: This is combined process where the patient has to wear an external hearing aid device as well as have a cochlear implant to catch note of the high frequency sounds and the low frequencies respectively with both end solution.

For patients with complete hearing loss, the family members need to forbid the practice of leaving the person alone at home. Assisted caregiver help can be assorted from a reliable organization to ensure complete safety and support in all requirements.

Elderly people are the glue that holds a family together. The vast vessel of knowledge and experience they have filled over the years serves as lessons to the children in the family. However, as you age your body undergoes a lot of changes and can handle very less stress. Physical activities begin to seem challenging and certain body parts become weaker. This is when you get concerned about the well being of the family member.

Of course, any son or daughter would be delighted to help out a father or a mother. But let’s face it; there are other responsibilities as well. You may have your own kids, stress from work, and doing your taxes and checking the bills. Time management becomes difficult.

At this point, you might think about a nursing home and start looking for a good one. But maybe you want to give it a little thought before rushing to a nursing home? Nursing homes are a place for people who require full day attention and monitoring. This can prove to be a barrier, if they don’t require 24 hours monitoring, in your beloved family member’s freedom.

There is another alternative to a nursing home for people who require assistance only with a certain set of activities. Senior home care is overall a preferable choice in this situation. You can start out by identifying the activities the particular family member requires help with. You will find these are very basic requirements that almost any person will need after a certain age.

Once you have a basic idea of what the person requires, see if you and other family members can help. Nevertheless, if all the family members have a busy schedule, outside help can be hired.

In home care is effective since it gives the member who is to be taken care of, a sense of freedom and a familiar environment, which is more comfortable. Also, look up if somebody you personally know would be willing to work for you since this makes all family members feel secure. If there is nobody that you know who would want to take up this work, stack up some applications and start the interviews. Let the person who is to be taken care of sit along during the interviews since he might have questions of his own.

Select an applicant that fulfills all your requirements and be sure to check that the elderly person is happy with the selection as well. If the senior member does not have any medical conditions and requires only non-medical care, there is no need to hire a professional caregiver. This will reduce the expense substantially. The best part about senior home care, though, is family participation. Regular communication between the caregiver and the family serves as a comfort platform. In case of any urgency the family can be contacted immediately.

Better care with minimal costs. Give your loved ones the leisure they deserve. You’ll fill their shoes someday, won’t you? See what you would like better for yourself.

With the coming of a New Year, you should strive to make resolutions that you can keep. Resolutions that make and keep you healthy and enjoying life to its fullest will be the most rewarding goals that you can set for yourself for the months to come. Let’s take a look at some of healthy resolutions that you can make to improve your health and well-being and increase your confidence in your ability to make your lifestyle more enjoyable.

1. Make a resolution to eat healthier in 2016. Include vegetables, fruits, fish, whole grains, and types of foods that contain low-fat products. No matter what your age is, you’ll need healthy foods that have fewer calories; this means that you need to make smart choices when you cook your meals or order from menus in your favorite restaurants. Choose a variety of foods that are rich in fiber, that offer you heart-healthy benefits, and that strengthen your teeth and bones.
2. Another good resolution for Seniors is to take a good multivitamin that has 100% of the daily requirement for minerals and vitamins that you need to keep you healthy. You can ask your pharmacist or doctor for a recommendation and make a commitment to taking the proper dosage each day.
3. Make a resolution to get up and get moving…in other words, be active. Physical activity is an outstanding way to fight heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes; in fact, with mild activity some of these conditions even improve. Be sure to consult your doctor before embarking on an exercise routine and always begin slowly and work your way up to longer periods of exercise.
4. One very important New Year’s resolution is to visit your doctor on a regular basis. Schedule your complete physical annually, keep track of the medications that you are taking, and always ask questions about the immunizations and tests that someone your age should be getting.
5. Resolve for the New Year to be careful when moving around your home so that you won’t fall. Experiencing a fall can limit your mobility and drastically change your independence. Go through your home and remove all clutter and items that are placed in high traffic areas. You should also do exercises that strengthen your balance as well as your flexibility so that you can guard against falls.
6. Another resolution that you can make for 2016 is to keep your brain working so that you will be alert and cognizant of the events going on around you. By working crossword puzzles, trying Sudoku, and attending and participating in social events you’ll provide the workout that your brain needs to work at its best.
7. Finally, make a resolution to get plenty of sleep each night. You need about eight hours each night so that you will be rested and rejuvenated for tomorrow’s activities. Try to avoid napping which can cause you to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep each night.

Use a combination of these suggested resolutions to make 2016 a prosperous, happy, and healthy New Year.

Thyroid disorder is a serious concern that affects people with gradual ageing when the thyroid glands slowly cease to function precisely as in young age. One of the major issues with the inappropriate functioning of the thyroid glands is the reduced rate of metabolism in the body largely attributed by hypothyroidism. The thyroid disorders may often remain unnoticed except for some severe health complications.

Common Symptoms of Thyroid Gland Disorders

The symptoms of hypothyroidism share similarities with other health ailments such as anemia, stress, depression etc. However, the relatives of people over the age of 65 years should consider taking the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Test (TSH Test) in case they observe the following complications evident over a continued period:

• Constipation and irregular bowels
• Reduction or Increase in body weight
• Tiredness and lack of energy or enthusiasm in daily activities
• Skin dryness and itching
• Inability to bear cold weather
• Disturbed cognitive functioning
• Weak muscles and tremors

Not all thyroid dysfunction cases are similar nor are the symptoms alike. Based on the medical conditions and complications, following are some vital thyroid gland disorders that require proper diagnosis and treatment for complete curing:

Multi Nodular Goiters

The development of thyroid nodule is quite likely in people aged over 70 years and even more. The enlargement of the multiple thyroid nodules or goiter causes pressure in the neck area that may result in mild discomfort or even severe pain in the area, jaws, ears etc. The extreme pressure may also pose difficulty in swallowing food or dry coughing. The over production of the thyroid hormone from these nodules in some cases result in major changes in the muscles and the heart, trigger stress and depression etc.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism or the excessive hormone production in the thyroid glands raises serious health concerns including muscle weaknesses, cardiac palpitations and irregular rhythms, shaking and tremors, pain in the chest area and associated problems. Left undiagnosed and untreated for a long time may increase the problems with severe conditions like osteoporosis, weakness, and cardiac diseases.

Hypothyroidism

The greatest problem with elderly patients with hypothyroidism over the age of 60 years is that the disorder produces several non-specific symptoms that may often go undiagnosed initially. The common symptoms include weight gain, improper cognitive functioning, memory loss, constipation, skin dryness, weakness etc. The conditions may emerge in older adults due to family history with similar problems, treatment taken for hyperthyroidism, neck surgery or any radiotherapy treatment around the thyroid glands.

Caring and Treatment for Thyroid Disorder in Older Adults

Medical treatment of elderly patients will depend on the type of thyroid dysfunction and level of complications. Certain restrictions pertaining to diet pattern and care regulations may be imposed depending upon the severity of the problem. The family members of the elderly people with hyperthyroidism symptoms like tremors, muscle pain may consider the assisted care services as a major support and help required by the patient who may not be in a condition to manage his daily activities independently. The choice of medicines and treatment limitations will depend upon the intensity and toleration of the old age people in responding to the different medical procedures.

Cardiovascular diseases are very common and a major cause of death in all ages especially in people over the age of 65 years. According to the research reports of World Health Organization (WHO), every year 17 million deaths are caused due to some form of heart diseases worldwide. There are various kinds of heart diseases including high blood pressure, strokes, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias etc. The coronary artery disease is the major cause of death in heart patients in America. If there is an elderly patient with heart disease at your home, assisted care services can be of intense help to control the situation and better observation of the patient in every aspect.

Risk Factors for Patients Suffering from Heart Ailments

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure): High blood pressure often seen in obese patients can cause strokes, increases the risk of contacting other cardiovascular diseases and even heart attacks.

Cholesterol: Bad cholesterol or plaque formation in the blood vessels restricts the smooth passage of the blood and other fluids conveniently to the heart. Extreme cholesterol levels in the blood vessels can cause heart attacks.

Type 2 Diabetes: As per the estimation of the American Heart Association, about 65% of diabetic patients are at the risk of developing some form of heart diseases later in their life. The elderly people are more prone to diabetes due to decreasing insulin release.

Obesity: Obesity or extreme fat concentration in the body can eventually lead to rise in cholesterol levels in the arteries. During old age, people gain weight due to lack of physical activities as they retire from work or reduced involvement in family affairs.

Lack of Physical Activities: Inactivity throughout the day actually raises the chances of encountering strokes and heart attacks. The professionals offering palliative care for coronary heart disease also consider that these patients need some physical activity. You can surely trust them for taking your elderly parents to walk or mild exercising.

Caring for Elderly People with Cardiovascular Diseases

Life with cardiac ailments is quite hard especially for elderly people who are in need of regular caring due to changes in lifestyle, physical activities, diet patterns, and other factors. They may not be in a position to handle their regular independent activities on their own as they could in their young age. If the family members are not in a position to look after them due to workload and other commitments, they can readily take the help of professionals offering elderly care for heart patients. Besides this, here are some factors to be considered seriously.

Diet: The diet routine will not be same if the patient is diagnosed with heart complications. The diet course is imposed by the doctor in charge of the treatment depending upon the level of complication. In general, the patients are recommended to take low fat and salt intake in their regular food. The diet is inclusive of lean proteins, low fat dairy products, lots of vegetables and fruits, and whole grains.
 

Exercises: Some kind of physical activity is very important for the patients with heart diseases especially those with cholesterol and overweight complications. While rigorous exercising is not always possible due to ageing issues, regular walking and mild exercising as per doctor’s advice is essential. This helps to improve blood circulation, keep the weight in check and gain advantage of keeping heart attacks at a bay.

The family members and the caregivers also need to take care that if the elderly patient has smoking or alcohol consumption habits; this has to be restricted largely. Smoking and drinking increases the chances of heart failure that can be even worse and at times life threatening.

Source: Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Dysphagia is a condition where people have extreme difficulty in swallowing food. This is particularly evident in elderly patients with severe acid reflux problems, patients suffering from oral, throat or esophageal cancers, etc. In some cases, narrowing of the esophageal tract or the food pipe can be a cause of concern. Sometimes, painful swallowing or odynophagia due to fungal infections can worsen the health condition for the elderly patients. Such people are generally kept under medication inclusive of mouth rinsing solutions to be used multiple times a day for reducing the problem. The family members can seek the help of palliative care provisions under such situations.

Common Occurrence and the Causes of Dysphagia in Elderly Patients

The causes of Dysphagia can be articulated under two separate categories:

1. Improper Functioning of the Muscles and Nerves of the Esophagus and Throat

• Brain injury, strokes or hurting of the spinal cord
• Nervous system disorders or diseases including Parkinson’s disease, post-polio syndrome, destruction of the  protective cover on the nerve cells in the spinal cord or brain called multiple sclerosis, and dystrophy in the muscular system
• Immune system disorder or inflammatory conditions such as dermatomyositis and polymyositis
• Sudden squeezing of the esophageal tract, causing blockage for the food to pass to the stomach; the condition is called esophagus spasm
• Narrowed and hardening of the esophageal tissues or scleroderma

2. Blockage in the Throat or Esophagus

• Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the commonest of complications where the acid from the stomach is thrust into the esophagus tract often producing ulcer after a certain period
• Inflammation in the esophagus or esophagitis can often result from an allergic reaction to polluted air or food contamination
• Formation of small sacs in the esophagus or throat called Diverticula
• Cancerous and non-cancerous esophageal tumors

Food for Elderly with Swallowing Difficulties

Here are some helpful tips and list of food items that can be the part of different servings for seniors with swallowing complications:

• Try to include soft food items such as homemade fresh yogurt, ice creams, custard and pudding at different points of time
• Mix and blend the dry food with broth, curries, milk, soups, sauces to moisten them to a consistent level to ease the food passage
• Always provide a straw while serving fruit juices, tea coffee etc. Do not serve beverages with soda and caffeine contents as these substances may further aggravate the inflammation
• Give them milkshakes, protein shakes blended with recommended nutrition supplements to suffice the regular calorie requirements
• Rice and other cereals should be boiled to soften the contents enough to ease the swallowing. Mash the food so that it is helpful in skipping the chewing process that can be painful for patients with oral infections

Sometimes patients with dysphagia have dry mouth problems as well. The disorder often arises from certain continued medication, dehydration or health problem. The senior careproviders should take special note of the issue. Dry mouth occurs due to the lack of sufficient saliva production in the oral tract. If such situations persist, the family members should consult the doctor to seek instant help.

Source: Image courtesy of tiramisustudio FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the major factors responsible for the deteriorating health conditions of elderly people is the lack of proper nutritional diet intake. Lack of proper nutrition in the body causes faster ageing, acute weakness, inadequate hormone functioning, cell damage, lack of energy and ability to lead an independent life. The older adults may encounter nutrition related problems such as:

• Reduced senses at the taste buds leaves a bland food taste experience
• Lack of regular thirst causing dehydration and improper hormone secretion
• Loss of muscles at the jaws causing chewing and swallowing problems
• Reluctance to take nutritional homemade food due to lack of taste
• Poor and irregular cravings and eating habits

Some Nutrition Facts for People Over the Age of 50 Years

Calcium and Vitamin D

People tend to lose calcium and bone density with ageing. After crossing the age of 50 years, special care should be taken to provide vitamin D rich foods including supplements to meet the requirement of 10 µg (400 IU) daily intake to retain the bone strength. The family members can also follow the Canada Food Guide that contains an elaborate account of food items and nutrition requirements for elderly adults. Some elderly patients with extreme low bone mineral count may require additional calcium supplements as per physician’s advice.

Fiber Rich Diet and Water Intake

The most common problem with seniors over the age of 50 years is the irregularity in bowel movements, reduced metabolism, constipation and associated disorders. With ageing, the efficiency of the organs in the digestive system is gradually reduced. Taking this on a serious note, the caregivers should include enough of fiber rich food; keep a track on the daily water and fluid consumption etc. Every elderly adult requires at least 3 liters of water consumption in 24 hours for keeping the body hydrated. The fiber rich foods include brown bread, brown rice, fruits, oats, cereals etc.

Vitamin B₁₂ and Folic Acid

The folate and vitamin B₁₂ are essential for the body to regulate the proper functioning of the nerves. The elderly people suffering from neurotic disorders should be given food rich in vitamin B to suffice the daily requirement of 1.5 µg (B₁₂) and 200 µg (Folate).

Proteins

The protein requirement differs to a slight extent for men and women. Women require more protein after attaining an age of 50 years. Lean meat, pulses, dairy products and eggs are good sources.

Some Essential Considerations

It is a known fact that you care for your elderly parents and grandparents. However, being too strict with their diet can be resistive and pressure on them. Do not adopt restrictive measures, as they can be annoyed or sometime stubborn. You can take a note of their food preferences to an extent if there is no risk factor. Though iron is essential for production of blood cells, but patients with constipation problems should not be given iron supplements or similar food items.

Nutrition is very important for the elderly people to stay healthy and fit. The seniors are often reluctant to take food at regular servings due to reduced appetite and lack of proper functioning of the taste buds. Often elderly members in the family show resistance to taking food at regular intervals due to loneliness. The family members can assort to assisted care services under such circumstances that can offer a good company for the seniors apart from deep caring provisions. Regular balanced diet is important at this age to eliminate the chances of weight loss, improper functioning of the organs, lack of energy etc.

Do you have any suggestions related to food and nutrition for elderly adults? If so, please share your valuable tips herein.

The immune system and its proper functioning of the human body create a defense system for preventing the diseases and germs from the development of infections and inflammation in the body. The impairment of the immune system means that the body will be more vulnerable to contact serious diseases such as the emergence of allergic reactions, lassitude, bacterial infections, slow rate of healing of wounds, cuts etc. With ageing, the efficiency of the immune system is gradually reduced significantly in many ways. The person extending elderly care to such patients should be cautious of these matters and mend way for requisite measures to take proper note of the well-being of the person.

Diseases like influenza and pneumonia are among the severe causes leading to death in people aged over 65 years. Here are some changes in the immune system that you will find in the senior members of the house as they approach their 60s.

• Inability of the immune system to detect foreign antibodies in the body and emergence of autoimmune disorders
• Destruction of antigens due to macrophages
• Inability of the T cells to respond quickly to the antigens
• Low white blood cell count and less responsiveness to new antigens
• Reduced production of antibodies to fight the antigens entering through various sources

If your parent or grandparent is suffering from low immunity level, then extra caring and rigorous hygiene is extremely important for the proper health of the individual. Theassisted care services are helpful for the family members of these patients to ensure that they can maintain the necessary provisions and look after the person properly.

Here are some herbal remedies that can be very beneficial for treating immunity disorders at home:

• Add garlic to the regular diet of the elderly people that helps to combat over 30 vital antigens that usually enter the body everyday through different sources.
• Echinacea herbal extracts are important for improving the functioning of the lymph.
• The goldenseal perennial herb can be given to these patients to detoxification and strengthening the immune system.
• Include food items like pearl barley, chlorella, giant red kelp and other vitamin C rich vegetables in regular diet.
• Herbs like chamomile, peppermint, shizandra berries, Siberian ginseng root and others can also be beneficial for their health.
• Give green tea occasionally to elderly people with immunity disorders for regular detox functioning.

The professionals offering elderly home care Canada therefore go through special training to maintain health monitoring, cleanliness and hygiene regulations to prevent diseases and complications due to present disorders if any. The other members in the house should also ensure to keep the house clean and do not enter the room in dirty clothes.

Aphasia is language and speech disorder problem that generally occur in older adults due to a number of health issues. These patients have difficulty with finding and organizing the proper terms to express their thoughts, recognizing what others are saying during a conversation, problem in reading handwritten materials etc. It is important to remember that even though your elderly relatives are struggling with Aphasia symptoms, they retain their cognitive functions, intelligence, and ability to think, perceive and understand situations. Apart from their difficulty with these situations, you may have to deal with their frustration due to anguish, stress, and anger.

Different Types of Aphasia Disorders

There are different types of Aphasia causing mild to severe impairment in old age patients.

Expressive Aphasia: Patients with this sort of aphasia disorder has problems in saying what he wants. The person can think but cannot communicate with others to express his thoughts. Depending upon the level of the expressive aphasia in elderly problem and their dependence on others, you can consider the caregiving provisions. This is particularly inevitable for families where members may need to stay out of the house for long hours due to various commitments.

Anomic Aphasia: Elderly people with anomic aphasia have problems in finding the suitable words while talking and writing.

Receptive Aphasia: The receptive aphasia causes problems in understanding the piece of words the person is reading or hearing from others. He is able to receive but has difficulty in recognizing words and lacks proper expression as a result.

Progressive Aphasia: In progressive aphasia patients, the loss of ability to read, write, comprehend and talk occurs gradually with passing time.

Global Aphasia: This type of aphasia is generally evident in stroke patients. There are complications in reading, writing, speaking and recognizing words.

Causes of Aphasia in Elderly Patients

Aphasia symptoms may emerge or worsen with time in elderly patients due to several reasons. The common causes of developing this sort of speech disorder complications include:

• Stroke
• Brain injury due to an accident or falling
• Damage in the brain parts regulating language and speech control
• Brain infection
• Dementia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Brain tumor
• Neurological disorders

How do you know that your elderly relative is struggling with Aphasia disorder?  

If your elderly parent or grandparent is suffering from aphasia disorder, you will notice some common symptoms like difficulty in speaking, having problems in using the right word during a conversation, etc. You may also realize that the senior person is using irrelevant words while speaking. Some patients may also encounter problems in understanding what people around are trying to say. Under such circumstances, the patient may feel discomfort in a social environment, crowd, and loud noises. Other problems that may persist include difficulty in reading especially handwritten pieces, doing calculations, and others.

Treatment and Caring for Elderly Aphasia Patients

The treatment and elderly care for Aphasia patients will depend upon the specific problems. If they are lacking self-expression, do not dissociate from them. The caregiver has an added responsibility to understand what the person requires at any particular moment. In some cases such as tumors and infection in the brain, the surgery and medical treatment can be helpful in eliminating the problem. The National Stroke Association has provided some guidelines for the patients with global aphasia. The caregivers and family members can use props to give a massage therapy. It is very important to remain patient while communicating with these patients. Talk slowly and try to take note of all the responses to understand what the individual is trying to say.

Are you facing problems with caring of aphasia in elderly patients at home? If so, contact Dearest Home for more details to chalk out an effective solution.