When someone has a chronic health issue, it can seriously impact their entire life. Your senior may need some help to ensure that she’s as comfortable and happy as possible. That’s called quality of life. There are some easy ways to ensure that your elderly family member’s quality of life is as high as it can be.
Understand Her Doctor’s Care Plan Recommendations
For any chronic illness, your senior’s doctor will have a specific care plan mapped out for her. Following that plan as closely as possible gives your elderly family member the best opportunity to manage her health. Depending on what steps are involved, she might find the plan complicated to keep up with everything on her own.
Consider Skilled Nursing Care
Bringing in skilled nursing care can help your elderly family member have the hands-on support she needs to be in the best possible health. Home health care providers who come to your senior’s home can check her vital signs and assist her with taking medication properly. They can also educate your elderly family member about other ways to ensure she’s managing her chronic health issue.
Find Ways to Offer Emotional Support
Emotional support goes a long way toward making life easier and better for someone with chronic health issues. There are a few ways to ensure your elderly family member has the emotional support she needs. Having easy access to friends and family helps a lot, but it can also help to have a support group or therapist to turn to.
Look at Lifestyle Changes to Support Wellness
There may be some lifestyle changes that will help your senior. These types of changes are common suggestions to manage wellness. They include choices like getting better sleep, adjusting your senior’s diet, exercising if it’s safe to do so, and more. Encourage your elderly family member to listen to her body and do her best to follow her needs.
Help Her Set Reasonable Goals
Even with chronic health issues, your elderly family member may achieve much more than she expects. The key is to set reasonable goals, especially around her health and daily activities. If her goals are far beyond what’s possible, she’s more likely to feel discouraged and stressed. Obviously, none of that is beneficial for someone who is facing chronic health conditions daily. Talk with your senior about what she wants to accomplish, and work together to set up plans to help make that happen.
There is a lot to do to ensure that your family member has the best quality of life possible, even with health challenges. Take time occasionally to check in and make sure the care plans still meet her needs and are working for her.