Providing home care for an aged loved one can be challenging even under the best of circumstances. Just getting through all of the daily task necessary for daily living, such as bathing and meals, can seem almost impossible at times. However, when an elderly loved one suffers from a severe medical condition such as heart disease, caregiving becomes an even greater challenge for family members who are likely already struggling to provide it.
The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that seventy nine million people are affected by some form of heart disease in the United States. An estimated sixteen million of those have experienced a heart attack or suffer from angina – non-heart attack chest pains. Given that the overall health of Americans has been on the decline for years, many more will likely be affected by cardiac disease in the coming years. This potentially grim outlook means that even more families will be faced eventually with caring for an elderly loved one who suffers from heart disease.
In order to effectively manage and provide home care for a person with heart disease, the caregiver must be educated in what their specific needs are. Here are some basic guidelines to follow if you or someone you know is the primary home care provider for an elderly loved one with a heart condition.
Be informed
Make an appointment with the elderly loved one’s primary health care provider to discuss their medical condition at length. Be aware of any and all medications they are supposed to be taking on a regular basis as well as any dietary and physical restrictions that have been imposed on them as a result of the heart condition. Keep an accurate and detailed list in a prominent place in the elderly loved one’s home for future reference.
Ask for training
Caregivers should be versed in the warning signs that may indicate another cardiac event. The first moments between the onset of cardiac symptoms until care is received are crucial and may go unnoticed if the caregiver doesn’t know what to look for. Additionally, training and certification in CPR is a must.
Limit exposure to cigarette smoke
If the caregiver or anyone else in the home is a smoker, careful consideration must be made to keep the elderly heart patient away the effects of secondhand smoke. Substances such as nicotine can stimulate the heart in such a way that another cardiac event could occur.
