National Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month

Senior Care in Beaver PA

May is National Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month. This is considered one of the worst months of the year for those who deal with asthma or allergies. This makes it the perfect time for you to focus some of your senior care efforts on finding out more about these complications, learning how to recognize them, and implementing ways to control them for yourself or your aging parent.
Approximately 24 million people throughout the United States suffer from asthma, while more than 50 million suffer from allergies of some kind. These issues can have a lasting impact on your parent’s quality of life, but fortunately there are ways that you can help your parent overcome and deal with these health concerns. This will not only help them to feel more comfortable due to reduced symptoms, but can also protect them from potential complications such as increased risk for infection and illness.
 
Use these tips to help you protect your aging parent and improve their quality of life throughout National Allergy/Asthma Awareness Month:

• Know their issues. In order to truly be able to control the issues that your parent is facing, you need to know what those issues are. You cannot simply assume that your parent has asthma or that you know exactly what triggers their allergies. If your parent is dealing with the symptoms of allergies or asthma, make sure that they talk to their doctor about these concerns. This will ensure that they know exactly what is affecting them so that you can work with them to address these issues in their care plan.
• Let others know. Make sure that anyone in your care team knows about your parent’s condition. This includes all of your parent’s doctors and therapists, as well as their senior health care services provider. Making sure that they all know what your parent faces will help ensure that your parent gets the care, support, and assistance that they need.
• Avoid triggers. The majority of people who suffer from asthma and allergies do not experience symptoms all the time. Instead, they have non-symptomatic periods that are disrupted if they come into contact with triggers, or environmental influences that cause their asthma or allergic reaction. Pay close attention to when your parent experiences their reactions and note their triggers. You can then make modifications to your care efforts to help them to avoid these triggers. This may include changing your cleaning habits, planning more indoor activities, or utilizing breathing therapies in conjunction with treatment and management techniques recommended by your parent’s doctor.
• Attend an awareness activity. Research your area and find out if there is an awareness activity planned for the month of May. This might include a health fair, an awareness walk, or different health organizations offering screenings. Attend these activities with your parent and their senior health care services provider to find out more about asthma, allergies, and what you can do every day to help your parent breathe more easily and live more comfortably.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Beaver, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Liken Home Care.  Call (412) 693-6820 or (855) 856-0551

 
Source:   http://www.aafa.org/page/asthma-and-allergy-awareness-month.aspx