There are millions of people around the world that have arthritis. Some of them have a diagnosis and others have symptoms but aren’t diagnosed. If your elderly loved one does have arthritis and you are trying to take care of them, there are some tips that could help to manage their condition. You and elder care providers should let your elderly loved one know about these treatments.  

Applying Cold and Heat 

Research shows that cold and heat can help to manage arthritis symptoms. Depending on how your elderly loved one is feeling, they may want to choose one of these options over the other. Some elderly people can’t stand the cold, so they prefer to apply heat to the area where they are experiencing pain. However, it is important for your elderly loved one to know that ice or cold packs can help to reduce inflammation while heat can help to relieve the pain. 

Exercising 

If your elderly loved one is in pain due to their arthritis, they may not feel like exercising. However, it is crucial that people with arthritis understand the more they are immobile, the tighter their muscles are going to get and the stiffer their body will become. When that happens, the pain is likely to increase. This does not mean your elderly loved one has to overdo it with exercising. However, if they can go on a walk a couple times a day and do a couple other basic exercises, that can help to lessen their symptoms.  

Weight Loss 

Does your elderly loved one need to lose some weight? You may not be sure about this. However, you can look online to see if your elderly loved one is overweight for their age and height. If so, the extra weight can put more pressure on their bones and body in general. This can lead to an increase in arthritis symptoms. If your elderly loved one can lose even 5 or 10 pounds, that can greatly reduce the severity of their symptoms. Maybe, you or an elder care provider could encourage them to exercise every day.  

Conclusion 

These are some of the tips for managing arthritis that you may want to share with your elderly loved one. Many senior citizens have benefited from these tips. If you can’t get over to your elderly loved one’s home to encourage them to use these tips, it may be a good idea to hire home care providers. These providers have experience in helping elderly people maintain their health. They can motivate your elderly loved one to make these positive lifestyle changes, so they can better manage their arthritis. 

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elder Care in Temple Terrace, FL please contact the caring staff at Healthy Services Of Tampa, Inc today. 813-932-9922 

Sources 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2667877/