Blog > In-Home Care Assist With Swollen Legs and Ankles

In-Home Care Assist With Swollen Legs and Ankles

Swelling in the lower body, particularly in the ankles and lower legs, can be very upsetting for your senior. This health condition, also called edema, occurs when your senior’s circulatory system isn’t able to keep that fluid moving back up into the upper part of her body. It’s common in older adults, but that doesn’t mean that edema has to keep your senior away from doing the things that she wants to do. In-home care aides can assist your senior if they have this condition.

Determine What’s Causing the Swelling

In-Home Care Murfreesboro TN - In-Home Care Assist With Swollen Legs and Ankles — In-Home Care Murfreesboro TN – In-Home Care Assist With Swollen Legs and Ankles

The first step with any health issue is to determine what the underlying cause is so that you can help your senior to start treating the condition. Your senior’s doctor can narrow down what’s creating this problem for her. She may be dealing with circulation issues, heart disease, arthritis, or kidney disease among a host of other health issues. If your senior has been avoiding medical checkups, it’s even more essential for her to see her doctor about what she’s experiencing.

Form a Plan for Addressing the Swelling

To properly cope with edema, your elderly family member is going to need a plan. Her doctor may have recommended medications, for instance, and those can take a little while to be effective for your senior. Her doctor may also recommend dietary changes and specific exercises to help her to move fluid through her body more effectively.

Consider Physical Therapy

For exercise, your senior may find that it’s helpful to work with a physical therapist. A physical therapist can put together a specific exercise program for your elderly family member that meets her where she is. As her condition improves, she may not need as much help from physical therapists.

Your Senior May Need In-Home Care Help, Too

Edema can seriously restrict your senior’s ability to move freely. She may find that she’s not as mobile as she used to be and her quality of life can suffer considerably. It’s a good idea to make sure that she has an in-home care aide there with her who can assist with mobility concerns as well as other daily tasks that still need to be accomplished. Knowing that she’s not alone can also help to build your senior’s morale.

Edema can be painful, but it may also be reversible for your elderly family member. Continue to check with her doctor to see if your senior is facing any other concerns related to what she’s going through with her swollen legs and feet.