When a heart attack strikes, it can seem to come out of the blue. It can also be incredibly frightening for the person dealing with it. It might start relatively mild, with a little bit of nausea, dizziness, or an unsettled feeling. It may come on suddenly with pain in the chest, arm, and head. When that senior has finally confronted the reality, that he or she had a heart attack, they will probably be in the hospital. They may be there for a day or two or maybe longer, depending on how many tests the doctor wants to perform and how much observation is needed to give this individual. Care management services could arrange for subsequent care.
When they are discharged and sent home, though, they will need help. Even a senior who had a mild heart attack and only spent one day and one night in the hospital may feel weak. Their legs might not be strong beneath them.
Or they may need a lot more assistance than just a little guidance to get back on their feet. Care management services are invaluable for aging men and women who are recovering from a wide range of health emergencies, including heart attacks, strokes, major surgery, and injuries sustained from slip and fall accidents.
Let’s consider a few things that care management might provide to an aging senior recovering from a heart attack.
First, it will offer consistent support.
Family members and friends, even a spouse might have the best of intentions, but if they have other responsibilities like work, raising children of their own, and so forth, they may not be able to stop by and assist at the same time every day. They may not even be able to stop by every day or every other day, as needed.
Professional home care can provide that consistency, which will be crucial when that senior is discharged and sent home to start the recovery process.
Second, they can offer amazing encouragement.
So can family, can’t they? Of course. However, it has been found that many family caregivers and well-meaning individuals will discourage seniors who had a heart attack from getting any type of exercise or physical exertion once they return home. However, that senior’s doctor may have told him or her to get exercise.
Why would a doctor tell a patient who had a heart attack to get exercise when they return home? Because the heart is a muscle and like any other muscle in the body, it requires exercise to get stronger. That may not be the case for everyone, but if the doctor has specifically told this individual they need exercise, then they need it. Sadly, many family members don’t realize this and try to do what they can to keep their loved one from pushing too hard (they try to protect him or her).
However, an experienced home care aide will offer the encouragement needed to do what the doctor has recommended.
Third, caregivers can offer assistance with daily activities.
So could a spouse or adult child, right? Of course, but that doesn’t mean they will be available all the time. A home care aide hired through an agency will be available when the senior needs help the most. That could be for a few hours in the morning every morning, a couple of hours in the morning every other day, and then a couple of hours in the late afternoon and opposite days, or some other combination therein.
Fourth, aides may be able to help improve diet and exercise.
Being a consistent force and having experience helping other seniors recover from heart attacks, caregiver professionals can lay the foundation for a healthy diet, good exercise habits and routines, and the encouragement seniors need to keep doing it and get and stay on that road to recovery.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Care Management Services in Old City TN please get in touch with the caring staff at Senior Solutions Home Care. (865) 539-5224
Senior Solutions Home Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Knoxville, Old City, Fort Sanders, Old Sevier, Edgewood, North Knoxville, Forest Heights, Sequoyah Hills, Knox County, and surrounding areas.
Over the years, we have expanded, providing service in all 95 counties throughout Tennessee, and we now have a growing presence in Georgia.
Senior Solutions is recognized as a top 5% independent agency and a three-time Inc. 5000 honoree in 2018, 2019, and 2020. These types of awards matter to us because they show growth in our goal of eventually touching a million lives. We’re excited to continue that growth and to touch even more families with our commitment to quality care!
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