How To Manage Multiple Chronic Health Conditions

 

Did you know that many seniors are living with three or more chronic health conditions? Some of the most common include diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, heart disease, and osteoporosis, all of which require different treatment plans and different medications. Managing multiple health issues means that you have to become your own advocate, from monitoring how you feel when taking a new medication, to ensuring your treatment plans aren’t too confusing, to scheduling regular check-ups with your specialists. 

Being your own advocate while managing several chronic health conditions can be overwhelming, confusing, and stressful, but it’s essential that you take control of your treatment and your medications to avoid any complications. Here are three actions you can take to get started: 

Tell Your Doctor Right Away if a Treatment Doesn’t Seem to be Working or is Causing Problems

You are the only person who truly knows how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. Medications for certain health conditions often come with side effects, and it’s important to pay attention to how these medications make you feel. It’s also important to note if you don’t feel your medications are helping to alleviate your symptoms, and it’s something your doctor should know as soon as possible. 

If a certain medication or treatment is making you feel sick, or you suspect it’s negatively interacting with one of your other medications, please call your doctor and let them know what’s happening. If it helps, you can make a list of your medications and how you feel after taking each one, or how you feel after taking all of them together, and share that list with your doctor. 

Speak up if the Treatment Plan is too Complicated, Confusing, or Unclear

We always recommend asking for clear, written instructions for any treatment plan before leaving your doctor’s office. Your doctor should give you all the necessary information, including when to take your medications, whether or not to take them with food or a drink, and which medications can be combined and which cannot. If you’re managing multiple chronic health issues and you’re taking several medications, your treatment plan can easily become too confusing. If this happens, speak up and ask for clarification along with a simpler plan. 

Tell the Doctor About Priorities for Care

If you’re helping your senior parent manage their health conditions, tell their doctor about their lifestyle, the things that are important to them, and what makes them most comfortable. For example, if your dad loves taking a long morning walk, he will want to avoid taking any medications in the morning that can make him feel drowsy. It’s important to understand how each medication will impact your parent’s existing lifestyle and hobbies.          

When a recommended medication comes with possible side effects that interfere with your senior parent’s lifestyle, ask their doctor about alternatives. There are alternatives to some medications that simply work in different ways and result in different side effects. Sometimes it’s a matter of trial and error, and it’s essential to know the full list of potential side effects before giving your parent something new to take.

If you have any questions about how to manage multiple chronic health conditions, or if you’d like more information about our long term care in New Jersey, please contact our team at UMC today: https://umcommunities.org

This blog was originally published at https://umcommunities.org/blog/chronic-health-conditions/

The Top 4 Common Chronic Illnesses in Seniors Explained

It’s true that senior adults are more likely to experience common chronic illnesses. But there’s still good news – a healthy, quality life is possible by managing the symptoms of these chronic illnesses and making the right lifestyle choices.  

In this article, we discuss the four most common chronic illnesses in seniors and how to manage them. 

High blood pressure (hypertension) affects 58% of seniors

High blood pressure (hypertension) often shows no symptoms, so regular blood pressure checks are vital. Even older adults who eat healthy and regularly get moderate exercise can have high blood pressure. Unmanaged blood pressure could cause heart disease, stroke, vascular dementia, eye problems, and kidney disease.    

Blood pressure results are given in two numbers. The first is systolic blood pressure, caused by the heart contracting and pushing out blood. The second number is diastolic blood pressure when the heart relaxes and fills with blood. 

Normal blood pressure	120/80
High blood pressure	130 or higher/80 or higher
Elevated blood pressure	120 – 129/less than 80
Low blood pressure	90 and lower/60 and lower

 

Taking medication recommended by your doctor and making the following lifestyle changes will lower blood pressure.   

·         Maintain a healthy weight.

·         Exercise moderately by walking or swimming.

·         Follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. 

·         Get at least seven to eight hours of quality sleep.

·         Reduce your salt and alcohol intake.

·         Do not smoke.

High cholesterol affects 47% of seniors

According to the American Heart Association, high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) can cause coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Cholesterol comes from two sources:the liver and foods high in saturated and trans fats such as meat, poultry, and dairy products.

Normal cholesterol is needed to build cells, make vitamins, and certain hormones. Eating foods high in saturated and trans fats forces the liver to manufacture high levels of cholesterol that forms a thick, hard deposit inside our arteries, blocking blood flow.

To manage cholesterol, follow the 3 C’s rule:

Check. Check your cholesterol levels, as it is important to know your numbers and assess your risk.

Change. Change your diet by eating more low-fat foods and exercising moderately. 

Control. Control your cholesterol with medication prescribed by your doctor, if required.   

Arthritis affects 31% of seniors

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis among seniors. This disease occurs when cartilage, the tissue that cushions the ends of the bones within the joints, breaks down and wears away, leaving the bones to rub against each other.  

The condition generally affects the neck, hands, lower back, knees, hips, and feet. Not everyone with osteoarthritis feels pain, but there is no cure for the disease. The common symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

·         Joint pain, swelling, and tenderness

·         Stiffness after getting out of bed

·         Crunching sounds like bone rubbing on bone. 

Pro-active participation by affected seniors is important for the effective management of the disease. Treatment plans include pain relief, rest, joint care, weight control, exercise, medicines, surgery, and complementary treatments.

Coronary heart disease affects 29% of seniors

Older adults are more likely to develop coronary heart disease, suffer a heart attack, or have a stroke. Heart disease is caused by the buildup of fatty deposits in the walls of coronary arteries over many years, which is called atherosclerosis. Regular checkups with a doctor are essential as heart disease shows little to no symptoms in its early stages.    

Heart attack symptoms for females are sometimes different from those males experience. Common heart attack symptoms for both groups are: 

·         Chest pain during physical activity that gets better when resting.

·         Tingling, numbness, pain in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back.

·         Shortness of breath.

·         Dizziness

·         Lightheadedness

·         Confusion

·         Headaches, nausea, or cold sweats.

·         Tiredness and fatigue

·         Swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, stomach, and/or neck. 

The steps to take towards a healthier heart include:

Manage other chronic diseases. Keep cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes in control.

Maintain a healthy weight. Limit food portion sizes and do moderate exercise.  

Follow a heart-healthy diet. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and high-fiber foods.  

Exercise. Clean the house, garden, walk briskly, cycle, dance, or go bowling. 

For more information, or if you have any questions about common chronic illnesses in older adults, please contact our team at UMC today. We look forward to hearing from you.

Original content posted on https://umcommunities.org/blog/chronic-illnesses-in-seniors-explained/