Many people end up needing a hospital from time to time, but when a senior citizen stays in a hospital for more than a few days, there are special steps you should take to ensure their safety when they arrive home. One of these steps is hiring a good in-home care service provider that can help to look after your loved one. Not convinced? Then read on to find out why this is such a good idea.
Wasting
Muscle wasting is a real thing, and it definitely happens to senior citizens when they're hospitalized. This is partially because any person that's staying at a hospital overnight will mostly spend time in bed and also because of certain precautions taken for the elderly.
Senior citizens are often urged to stay in bed at all times unless they need the bathroom in order to help reduce the risk of falls. However, this has an unwanted side effect: it increases the rate at which muscle degrades.
Of course, everyone is susceptible to muscle degradation if they don't use their muscles, so what's the big deal with the elderly? Well, when an elderly person is hospitalized, they can lose a great deal of muscle development if they are kept in bed. insane! Imagine how weak you would feel in this situation yourself.
Unfortunately, that's not all. Bones also start to lose mass when an elderly person is left to bed rest for a while. This is especially dangerous for elders who already have osteoporosis or another condition that causes thinning bones. A simple stumble or fall could potentially spell a broken bone if they don't get the help that they need to get stronger.
How In-Home Care Helps
In-home care is an excellent idea. By hiring someone to help your loved one around the house, you ensure that someone is there to monitor them and to make sure that they have all the help they need moving. After this kind of muscle and bone wasting, everything from walking to taking a shower may be much more difficult for your elderly loved one. To make matters worse, if they avoid doing these things because of the discomfort they're experiencing from weakened muscles and bones, the issue will only get worse.
By having an in-home caregiver, you ensure that someone is there to help your loved one around, get them through their personal hygiene steps, and even cook meals and do laundry for them as needed. They can also easily call for help if any medical problems arise immediately following your loved one's return home from the hospital.
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