Seniors Site

There are cases wherein we find it pretty hard to talk to our elderly. They rarely believe anything we say especially when it comes to their health. Technically, some of them do not believe in the technology that we have right now which drives them into a conclusion that any condition that they have as of the moment could not be fixed.

A few years ago when my grandfather was still alive, he experienced a lot shortness of breath that really bothered us. He would not want to be checked although I am convinced that it has something to do with the heart. We can’t even talk our way into making him come visit the doctor which made us come to a point wherein we had to invite a doctor to visit us. True enough, my theory was right. He was having heart problems. The health care provider did not pay for it since they do not cover in-house visits but it was alright since we were able to find out his problem. Yet, we still had a lot of problems bringing him to the hospital for check-up. And so, we had a psychologist talk to him.

Talking to seniors may be a problem but one way or another, we have to do it especially if it has something to do with their health and how this will help them live better.

Is your elder experiencing severe hip and leg pain? what about severe constipation? are they having problems getting to bed? What about their eating habits? Have you noticed that they are having problems breathing as well? Then this could be parkinson’s end-stage.

As we all know, parkinson’s disease is a slow neurodegenerative disease that has no cure although symptomatic treatments have improved over the past few years. A physician that specializes in this disease which is typically a neurologist must be consulted immediately. If by any chance that the end stage has been reached, then discuss things regarding hospice to help optimize palliative intervention. At this point, family support is needed.

Are you having difficulty walking? Do you have urinary incontinence? Are you experiencing dementia? Then it may be because of NPH or normal pressure hydrocephalus. It is a reversible cause of dementia but most of the clinicians today often miss this part. Typically, ventriculogram is done to diagnose the disease. It is actually a test but some neurologists do not recommend the test. In the case of a senior, the static brain imaging tests, (CT or MRI) does not usually detect any of the disease because of some age-related cerebral atrophy might create the impression that the enlarged ventricles are normal. There are a couple of alternatives though that can help with the diagnosis such as invasive testing that takes some fluid from the cerebral spine through a needle.

This is actually a very important diagnosis because someone who is suffering from dementia can be normalized by a procedure that will drain excess fluid off the brain. A neurosurgeon plays a very important role here.

Unfortunately, most illness are not reversible. NPH on the other hand is. It becomes worse if this diagnosis is missed.

The effect of stroke depends highly on its size and on which part of the brain is affected. If the left side of the brain is affected, then the speech function will be suffering the consequences. This is true for right handed individuals. The left side of the brain is responsible for the movement of the right side of the body which will impair motor movements and some sensory abilities. Words will also become a major problem. Speaking, understanding and even finding the right words to say will become a major setback.

Strokes can be caused by problems in blood circulation or by internal bleeding. These can cause damage to vital nerves in the brain. Any small damage, especially at crucial locations such as the brain can produce a marked function in any movement.

Recovery from stroke highly depends on the amount of tissue that has been injured and those that has been killed. The dead ones can never be rejuvinated but the injured ones can recover in due time. For a victim of stroke, therapy is highly recommended.

When a senior or anybody is diagnosed with gout, treatment is indeed very important. It is not just to relieve the pain that they feel but to prevent future attacks and formation of stones in the kidney. Doctors often recommend anti inflammatory drugs to treat the attacks. These drugs include Ibuprofen and indomethacin. They may be taken by mouth or a corticosteroid may be injected directly into the affected joint.

For future attacks, daily treatment with allopurinol is prescribed by most physicians. Those who are diagnosed with this problem must exercise regularly and drink plenty of water to remove uric acid. They are also encouraged to stay away from alcohol.

The coming of age is often accompanied by malfunctioning organs. When this happens, physicians would often recommend transplant. However, there are many implications along with this especially with a senior. Transplant patients are susceptible to bone loss according to professionals. Most of the studies were conducted on heart transplant recipients but seems to apply to others as well. The degree of osteoporosis and bone loss, in conjunction with other factors such as severe curvature of the spine of better known by medical practitioners as kyphosis which is caused by multiple fracture of the bones, may render the transplant procedure more difficult and at a higher risk for poor results.

It is good to have multiple recommendations from other doctors before going for the transplant procedure immediately. Another opinion would not hurt especially if it will lead to the betterment of your health.

Older adults often experience the problem of dry eyes and the reason for this type of problem with the eyesight varies. This is associated with the lack of tear production or the increased loss or evaporation of the liquid caoting that provides a protective film over the eyes. This could be a cause of an overall drying of oral secretions which is called the sicca syndrome.

The causes can be linked to the bloackage of production maybe from therapy of just a simple obstruction. Medication, menopause or other disease processes can also be linked to dry eyes.

If your elder is experiencing this problem, bring them immediately to the appropriate health care professional particularly to an opthalmologist.

End - Stage Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease of better known as COPD is an uncurable lung disease that involves difficulty in breathing in which survival is very limited. As experts would speculate, it would usually take less than a 6 - month period.

When an elder is diagnosed with this disease, he or she would require supplemental oxygen to aid in breathing and may need hospice to optimize the quality of life since logically, this is a terminal state.

It would be good to look for information on hospice and end of life issues. As of the moment there is nothing much to do. Care for them and make them feel special for the remainder of their life.

Being a parent is a job that stays until death. Even a senior can still do their parental guidance to their children or to their grand children no matter how old they are especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

Traumatic events often happen to people and nobody is excused from that. No matter how much we keep our minds focused to the fact that we are strong, if problems arise, we may end up crying ourselves to sleep. Who do we turn to in times like these? Not friends, but our parents. Parents know what is best for us since they have encountered the same scenarios over and over again. It is like saying that they have walked the path of life over and over again while you are walking your first steps. Its the "been there, done that" kind of thinking that makes being a senior parent very superior.

As a senior parent, when your sons, daughters or even grandchildren are having problems, be confident enough to ask them and give them advise. The duty of a parent does not end.

Seniors and some adults often experience pain in their joints mostly when they move. This is most likely the cause of osteoarthritis which is very common among older adults. It is actually a joint disease that affects the cartilage. Cartilage is a tissue that covers the ends of the bones. When it wears away, bones rub against each other which cause a lot of pain, swelling and deformation.

Pain is treated primarily with analgesig medication. However, in severe cases, joint replacement is seen as an option.