How Can Your Senior Ensure She’s Taking Proper Care of Her Respiratory Health?

By Lainie Berg | August 4, 2017

Elder Care in Belgrade MN: How Can Your Senior Ensure She’s Taking Proper Care of Her Respiratory Health?

Taking proper care of your senior’s respiratory health, especially when she has respiratory problems, doesn’t have to be a complicated process. These tips can help you to make sure that you’re covering all of the bases and that you and your elderly parent have a solid plan in place.

Follow up with Her Doctor

The first stage is always working out with your aging senior’s doctor what she needs the most from you, from her nutritional plan, and in terms of exercise. Your parent’s doctor may also have some specific recommendations for tests that can keep him up to date on lung function. This is crucial for determining if specific treatments are working or whether other intervention is necessary.

Adjust Her Diet

If your elderly parent’s body isn’t getting the right fuel, she won’t be strong enough to maintain the energy levels that she needs to keep her body going. This is especially important when she’s having trouble with shortness of breath and other lung issues. Dealing with lung issues burns a lot of energy and if your parent isn’t eating enough, she may find that she’s losing weight and doesn’t understand why.

Take Medication When Necessary

Your senior’s doctor may recommend a variety of different medications to help her manage her lung issues. Some might be oral medications while others might be inhaled medications. Your aging adult’s doctor may also recommend other treatments, such as using a humidifier or a dehumidifier at certain times of the year.

Use Oxygen if it’s Needed

Most people don’t think about oxygen as a medication, but if your senior has lung difficulties, then it’s definitely a form of medication. Some people are resistant to using oxygen because it makes them look or feel weaker than they want to appear. If this is the case for your senior, you may need to do some work on those feelings. Talking to a counselor or a therapist can help your loved one to modify her thinking on that subject.

Hiring elder care providers is a great way to give your loved one an extra layer of help in managing the details of keeping herself healthier.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering in-home elder care in Belgrade, MN, please contact the caring staff at Alternative Senior Care today. Providing Home Care in Central Minnesota and Surrounding Communities. Call us Today (320) 352-3350.

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Lainie Berg

Chairman of Operations at Alternative Senior Care

Lainie began as a Certified Nurse Assistant in long term care and hospice back in 1989." Hospice taught me how precious and short life really is and personally wanted to make my seniors' lives the best they could be." She continued her education and worked as a Social Service Designee and an Administrator in an Alzheimer and Dementia care facility, helping families facilitate services and offered support to clients, and training staff to provide quality care in the home environment.
Lainie recalled her favorite subject in school was Home Economics,

“I always loved cooking, cleaning, organizing the home, and caregiving; all the things we do best at Alternative Senior Care!”

"I’ve learned a lot from my experiences for the past 30 years, caregiving for seniors, children and family members. Being a part of Alternative Senior Care is a privilege for me because I feel every day is an opportunity to find ways to bless others, especially in my own community. Overseeing our day-to-day operations at Alternative Senior Care, allows me to make sure our values and mission statement is implemented in all that we do to make each client feel safe, comfortable, and cared for in their own home. “