As a caregiver, you have a lot to manage for your elderly loved one, and one of the most overwhelming parts of your caregiving may be helping her stay healthy despite having multiple medical conditions.
Common Health Conditions for Seniors
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Coronary heart disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Heart failure
- Depression
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Five Tips for Helping Your Loved One Manage Her Medical Conditions
Attend All Appointments if Possible
Having the correct information and being able to ask questions is key to helping you help your loved one. Trying to rely on your loved one to share the information given to her accurately and completely is asking too much of her and may result in you receiving misinformation about either a treatment plan, a medication change, or a lifestyle change recommended by her doctor.
Talk to Your Loved One About Health Priorities
Just because a doctor suggests it, you and your loved one don’t always have to do it. Talk to your loved one about what is most important to her and then convey those wishes to her doctor. There may be treatments she doesn’t want to participate in, or there might be side effects she doesn’t want to experience with certain medications. Once you and your loved one are on the same page, make sure the doctors understand those same desires so that they can help you come up with alternative treatment options if needed.
Don’t be Afraid to Change Your Mind
If your loved one has started a treatment program or a new medication and it’s not working or the side effects are worse than expected, share that information with her doctor as soon as possible so you can pivot and try another direction for her treatment. It’s also okay for you and your loved one to say something is too complicated or too expensive and ask for other options that will suit her lifestyle and budget better.
Ask About Lifestyle Changes that Can Positively Affect Multiple Medical Conditions
Sometimes, there are lifestyle changes that your loved one can make that’ll help relieve symptoms or even prevent conditions from getting worse, that will not have any of the negative side effects that either medications or other treatments will have. The doctor may suggest that your loved one change her diet to include more of a specific food (or less of something), or doctors might suggest regularly exercising, or stopping a bad habit like smoking or drinking. These changes can oftentimes be hard for someone with a lifelong lifestyle that is unhealthy, but they can also often help improve the health of someone who has multiple medical conditions.
Get Help from a Client Advocacy Service
Because it can be so overwhelming and confusing trying to help your loved one take all of the best actions toward managing her medical conditions, having an outside trained person help you navigate all of the aspects of the healthcare your loved one needs can be a great resource. A client advocacy service can take care of finding the right resources, coordinating care, and so much more so that you can focus on providing care and support for your aging loved one.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Medical Conditions Services in Stony Brook, NY, please contact the caring staff at Star Multi Care today. Call (631) 424-7827
Star Multi Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Long Island and NYC, including Dix Hills, Floral Park, Great Neck, Huntington, Manhasset, Massapequa, Northport, Plainview, Rockville Center, Stony Brook, Suffolk County, Nassau County, and Queens County.
- Managing Hernia Recovery at Home After a Hospital Stay - July 17, 2025
- How Home Care Helps Seniors Navigate Dietary Changes - July 10, 2025
- Symptoms That Mean Family Caregivers Need a Break - July 2, 2025
