Senior Care Blog

Managing Pain with the Help of Senior Home Care

Chronic pain seriously hinders the quality of life for aging adults, but senior home care services can help.
Senior Home Care in Coppell TX

Pain is an extremely common issue for older adults. Chronic pain, in particular, robs seniors of their quality of life, reduces their mobility, and can cause them to isolate themselves. Even when they’re working with healthcare providers, seniors often need a little extra help living with chronic pain as they age in place. Senior home care providers can do a lot to support seniors in managing their pain and improving their quality of life.

Anti-inflammatory Nutrition

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and seeds, are beneficial anti-inflammatory foods for individuals who frequently experience pain. Spices and herbs, like turmeric, can also have anti-inflammatory effects for seniors. Sometimes medical providers give seniors a specific diet to follow in order to reduce inflammation and help control pain levels. Home care providers help seniors and family members incorporate more of these foods into weekly meal plans and daily meals.

Non-medical Therapies

There are also lots of different therapies seniors can use at home to help with pain that won’t interfere with the medical treatments their doctors are already implementing. These are solutions like hot and cold therapy, using TENS units, massage, and even red light therapy. Senior home care providers can help seniors remember which treatments help and incorporate them into their daily routines. It’s always best for seniors to talk with their doctors about the non-medical therapies that they try so that they can make sure they’re using them correctly and they’re safe to use at all for their conditions.

Exercise and Stretching

Gentle movement, including stretching, helps seniors maintain joint flexibility, muscle strength, and circulation. All of these areas are important to reducing pain flares, so as long as seniors are cleared by their medical providers to exercise, it’s a good idea to include more of these activities in daily routines. Becoming more consistent with movement can help seniors feel more comfortable.

Relaxation Techniques

Stress makes everything worse, including pain. Practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing, mindfulness, and meditation can help seniors cope with the pain they experience. These techniques don’t reduce pain, but they do reduce some of the stress associated with pain and can help with sleep and rest. Improving sleep and rest can do so much to help seniors experience reduced pain levels.

Monitoring and Feedback for Family Caregivers

Pain is a constantly changing challenge for seniors and family caregivers. Senior home care providers can be there when family caregivers can’t, which allows them to notice changes and patterns that might be helpful for medical providers and family caregivers to understand. With accurate information, it’s so much easier for family caregivers to help seniors get the medical care they need.

Chronic pain is often underrecognized in seniors. When it’s left unmanaged, chronic pain causes a lot of physical and emotional challenges. Senior home care providers can help aging adults, can family care providers can stay aware of what’s going on and make lifestyle changes to help them improve their quality of life.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Home Care in Coppell, TX, please contact the caring staff at Arcy Healthcare today at (469) 293-1515
Providing In-Home Healthcare Services in North Texas, including Dallas, Hurst, Grapevine, Keller, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Denton, Flower Mound, Carrollton, Gainesville, and more.
Jimmie Stapleton

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