Five Ways to Help Your Senior Cope with Chronic Pain
Senior Care Glenview IL: Five Ways to Help Your Senior Cope with Chronic Pain
Chronic pain does so much to hinder your elderly family member’s quality of life. Finding ways to cope with chronic pain and underlying issues is crucial for both of you.
Work with Her Doctor to Develop a Pain-relief Plan
The very first step is always to work with your senior’s medical professionals to come up with a care plan that helps her. There may be more that they can do, depending on the cause of her pain. Following that plan can give her a big start on relieving at least some of her pain.
Consider Exercise
For many people with chronic pain, exercise can help more than they think. Don’t overthink it, though. Exercise doesn’t have to mean anything incredibly strenuous. Moving just a little more than usual is most often what’s called for, especially for someone in pain.
Find Ways to Manage Stress
When your elderly family member is experiencing a great deal of stress, her muscles are more likely to hold tension and she’s more likely to experience stiffness in her joints. All of that contributes to more pain and it’s not necessary. Help her to find ways to manage her stress so that she can relax her body. She may find that this is all cyclical for her.
Give a Support Group a Try
Other people who have suffered from chronic pain can be incredibly helpful to your aging adult. They can offer insights that people who haven’t been in her shoes can’t even imagine. Try to locate support groups for people with chronic pain and encourage your senior to go. Even if she only attends online meetings, that can be a big help.
Hire Senior Care Providers to Assist
Some days are going to be much harder for your senior than others. Some days she may not be able to do much beyond getting out of bed and that’s okay. What you can do is help her to still have everything that she needs on those days, even if she can’t do much for herself. Senior care providers can fill those care gaps for her and for you so that you know that she’s eating nutritious meals, her home is clean, and that she’s got whatever else she needs.
Chronic pain dramatically impacts your senior’s quality of life. It may not be possible for you to completely eliminate her pain for her, but you may be able to do more to help than you think. Keep trying different tactics until you find the plan that works best for her situation.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care in Glenview, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.
Excerpt: Chronic pain can weigh heavily on your aging family member. These tips can help.
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