Does your senior seem to have heartburn all the time? It might actually be GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. November 20th through 26th this year is GERD Awareness Week, so it might be a good time to talk with her doctor about what your senior is experiencing. If your elderly family member is indeed battling GERD, personal care at home can help her to deal with some of her symptoms.
Learn What Triggers Her GERD Symptoms
There are lots of different things that can trigger GERD symptoms. For some people, food and drinks can trigger GERD, as can eating too much, lying in the wrong positions, or even wearing tight clothing that restricts bodily movement. Learning what triggers symptoms for your senior might mean doing things like talking to her doctors as well as keeping a journal for a few weeks. Tracking everything from sleep to food intake can help to narrow down some triggers.
Stick with the Care Plan Recommended by Her Doctor
When she’s diagnosed with GERD, your senior’s doctor is likely to put together a care plan for her. This care plan might include recommendations related to diet and exercise as well as medications. If your elderly family member doesn’t stick with that care plan, she’s more likely to have issues related to GERD and her symptoms may become a lot worse.
Make Some Changes at Home
As odd as it might sound, putting some changes in place at your senior’s home can help her GERD quite a lot. For instance, elevating her mattress at night with a bed wedge or switching to an adjustable bed frame can help her to be more comfortable at night. Switching up her meals to include smaller portion sizes and more frequent meals can help her to eat more comfortably. Home care providers can be a huge help in making some of these changes to your senior’s routines.
Encourage Her to Drink More Water
How much water is your elderly family member drinking? You and she might both be surprised to find that she’s not drinking as much as she really thinks she is. And having a little bit more water each day can do a lot to help your senior’s body to have the hydration it needs and also help to reduce GERD symptoms. Caregivers can easily remind your senior throughout the day to sip more water.
Do What You Can to Help Her to Have Less Stress
Stress isn’t great for all sorts of health issues, including GERD. If your elderly family member is dealing with other health issues or with situations that cause her to experience heightened stress, work with her to figure out how you can lower her stress levels a bit. This could involve all sorts of solutions from helping her to embrace mindfulness tools to bringing in personal care at home to make her life easier and safer.
If your elderly family member’s GERD symptoms seem to be getting worse instead of better and she’s adopted some healthier habits, talk with her doctor about what other solutions might be helpful.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING PERSONAL CARE AT HOME IN SARATOGA, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY (408) 317-4969
