Anemia can affect anyone of any age, but it can be hard for you to understand how to help your elderly loved one with this problem. The only way to know for sure if a senior is struggling with anemia is by getting regular doctor’s checkups and getting their blood drawn. If a senior is determined to age in place but has been struggling to do things on their own, they may require more help like home health care. Doctors can check a patient out without a senior needing to leave their home. Unfortunately, there are some limits to what home health care can do; a doctor visiting a home may not be able to run all of the tests. So, it’s crucial that you still find ways to work around limitations and get a senior to a lab for testing when necessary. 

It can happen for many different reasons for older people to be anemic, such as having a chronic disease, not getting enough iron, and not getting enough vitamin B12. Anemic older people are more likely to lose physical abilities, get sick, be hospitalized, and move into nursing homes than older people who are not anemic. It is so crucial to monitor the health of your loved ones or hire professionals who can help observe a senior. If you are worried about anemia, it’s time to learn what it is so you can help better. 

What Is Anemia?

When someone is anemic, there aren’t as many red blood cells in their blood or the amount of hemoglobin in these cells isn’t enough. People can get anemia because they don’t have enough blood, they don’t make enough red blood cells, or they get rid of these cells. In order to find out if you have this condition, a simple blood test will show how much of each you have. This can be scary for seniors but regular monitoring from a doctor can help prevent anemia from happening. 

What Are The Signs Of Anemia?

Often when your elderly loved one ages you see signs of it. Aging means growing weaker, slower, and more tired. However, things like dizziness, extreme fatigue, pale skin, irritability, and other things are signs a senior should get their blood drawn. If these are abnormal behaviors it is something that needs to be checked until a doctor can find out the source of the problems. 

What Can Cause Anemia?

Anemia can be acute, with a sudden and severe start, or it can be chronic, taking a long time to build up over a long time. This can help us figure out what caused the anemia and which treatment will work best for us. Anemia can be treated even if there isn’t a clear reason for it.

In some cases a doctor may not know why it started but can still help try to treat the problem based on the information they do know. This is why it is important to have open communication with a doctor and essential to get regular checkups. A doctor may also decide that one of the seniors’ medications is making the anemia worse so they will change the prescription.

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