How To Support An Elderly Parent With Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis can affect every bone in your body. You can even experience bone loss in your jaw, which can make your teeth fall out. This condition causes your bones to become brittle and weak. A simple fall for someone with osteoporosis can result in a severe injury. Around 50 percent of hip fracture survivors can become permanently incapacitated. Read on to find out how to support an elderly parent with osteoporosis.

Encourage Your Parent To Ask For Help

If your elderly parent has this condition, then you do not want him or her to fall. It is more complex than just helping with household chores when someone has osteoporosis. Simple activities can result into a broken bone. For example, your parent could slip on the wet floor and break a bone while giving his or her dog a bath. On the other hand, your parent could fracture a bone when bending to pick up a cup. For these reasons, you must encourage your parent to ask for help instead of taking unnecessary risks. If your parent needs to use a walker, then you need to encourage him or her to use it when walking. However, it is hard to control someone who is independent and do not want to ask for help. You must provide your parent with support and intervene when him or her is doing something dangerous.  

Take Advantage of Home Care Services

You should take advantage of home health care services. These services can allow someone with osteoporosis to stay at home safely. Home care services can help your family find a caregiver. A caregiver can help your elderly parent perform a variety of duties. These duties may include toileting, help with positioning, grooming, bathing, mobility assistance, giving medications, providing transportation, preparing meals and running errands.

If you want to get a caregiver to support your parent, then you should contact a reputable staffing company. The company will send someone to your home to assess your needs. They can customize a plan to fit your needs. The plan can change as the needs of your elderly parent changes.

Pay Attention To Your Parent's Eating

It helps to pay attention to your parent's eating and overall health. You want to make sure your parent is eating properly. Lack of eating could mean a medical condition or problems with swallowing. Proper nutrition helps your parent with absorbing the medication into his or her body.

Providing someone with osteoporosis with support improves his or her life. It improves your parent physically, emotionally, mentally and socially.