If your older parent suffers from diabetes, you probably worry about their health and their ability to keep themselves healthy. You have good reason to be concerned, since more than one out of four people over the age of 65 suffered from diabetes in 2014. In addition, it is important to point out that although the number of diabetics requiring amputation to one or more limbs has greatly dropped in recent years, four out of every 1,000 diabetics lost a limb to that insidious disease in 2008. Therefore, it is a good idea to hire an in-home caregiver to help your parents with common activities of daily living, or ADL's, like bathing and wound care, if needed. The following information will clarify why professional assistance is so important.
#1-Even If Mom Or Dad Don't Have Balance Issues, Professional Help At Home Is Essential
It is easy to say that your mom or dad does not need help bathing and dressing until you realize that during bathing, the elderly are vulnerable to accidents and injury. Since even minor wounds, cuts or skin tears can be disastrous for the delicate skin of an older diabetic, it is best to eliminate the possibility of their occurrence whenever possible.
Untreated wounds on a diabetic patient, even minor ones that might not be of concern for healthy people, can become badly infected in a quick period of time. Infections are more difficult to treat in diabetics and can result in the need for hospitalization and procedures like debridement, which is when a doctor must remove dead or dying skin in an effort to save the living tissue. It is often a long, painful process for a diabetic to recover from a serious skin infection and therefore, it is better to prevent it by working with a professional caregiver, as explained below.
#2-Minor Injuries Can Take Time To Be Noted By The Elderly And That Can Disastrous
Because diabetes is known to cause nerve damage to a patient's limbs, particularly the feet, it is not unusual for a diabetic to receive a minor injury and be unaware of it. Minor discomfort from injuries are often hidden by the more significant and expected pain of their nerve damage, which is known as neuropathy. Unfortunately, about half of all diabetic will develop neuropathy, and there is no cure.
By hiring someone to help an older parent with dressing and changing, your mom or dad would be less likely to slip and injure themselves. In addition, new injuries can be more easily detected and treated. It will also be helpful to remember that diabetics are frequently asked to inspect their feet daily. Since doing so can be challenging for a less-than-flexible older person, choosing a professional to assist your mom or dad just makes sense.
In conclusion, in-home caregivers can provide invaluable assistance to diabetics who may have trouble taking care of themselves. When you know that your diabetic patient will be safer as the result of a hired caregiver to help them at home, it is a good idea to remember the above information.
For more information, contact Accu-Care Nursing Service Inc or a similar company.
Share24 May 2016
One day I was playing a game of basketball with a friend, and the friend I was playing ball with tripped and took a hard fall to the ground. He hit his head hard, but he insisted he was okay and just wanted to go home and take a nap. I knew in my heart that he was not thinking clearly, and I didn't feel right letting him go home. I talked him into letting me take him to the hospital, and after some tests, it was determined he had a bad concussion. The doctors told me that if I had let him go home and sleep, things could have taken a turn for the worse. I created this blog to remind everyone to look out for each other after injuries. Not everyone thinks clearly after a head injury, and just being a good friend could save a life.