Companion Care at Home: Research shows that more than 6 million United States citizens have a disease called congestive heart failure.

Did you know there are many health conditions that can lead to congestive heart failure? Learning about these conditions can better educate you on what your elderly loved one needs to do to lower their risk for heart failure. A companion care at home service provider can be a great help with this.

Heart Valve Malfunctions

Has your elderly loved one’s doctor told them they have a heart valve disorder? One of their heart valves might not close properly or it might be flowing blood backward. Sometimes, this condition is minor and not concerning. However, there are other times when it requires surgery in order to prevent heart failure. You or a companion care at home provider should go to the doctor’s appointments with your elderly loved one. Talk to the doctor to find out what needs to be done to treat the heart valve malfunction so that your elderly loved one’s risk of heart failure is lowered.

Hypertension

Another condition that can lead to congestive heart failure is hypertension. If your elderly loved one has this health problem, it could be caused by eating too much food that is filled with cholesterol or unhealthy fats. These things clog blood vessels in the heart and cause blood pressure to rise. The higher blood pressure levels put a strain on the heart. You can, again, talk to your elderly loved one’s doctor to see what should be done to lower their blood pressure. Medications may be needed. However, there are also lifestyle changes your elderly loved one can make such as exercising regularly or eating healthier foods. These changes can lower blood pressure to take the strain off the heart. If needed, you can have a companion care at home provider stay with your loved one to encourage them to make these choices daily.

Other Health Conditions

Your elderly loved one could have other conditions that cause congestive heart failure, as well. Some of these conditions include:

  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Thyroid disease
  • Heart disease
  • Severe infection

If your elderly loved one does have these conditions or anything else concerning, make sure they are seeing a doctor for the appropriate treatment.


Companion Care at Home: Conclusion

There are different causes of congestive heart failure. Now that you know about some of these causes, you can do your best to help your elderly loved ones lower their risk for this health issue. At any point, if your elderly loved one, yourself, or the companion care at home provider believes your elderly loved one is experiencing heart health issues, make sure they see a doctor about it.

 

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Companion Care at Home in Taunton, MA, please contact the caring staff at Cranberry Home Care today. 508-946-2200

 

 

Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/heart_failure.htm
https://medlineplus.gov/heartfailure.html