Elderly Care in Plainsboro NJ

Being aware of the health risks that your aging loved ones face and knowing what you can do to help them prevent these health conditions or manage them should they arise is one of the most important elements of your elderly care journey. Through this awareness and preparedness you empower your parents to live the highest quality of life possible feeling confident that you are doing everything you can to protect their health and to help them take responsibility for their wellbeing and their future.

One such health risk that many seniors face is kidney disease. Two small, bean-shaped organs located just below the rib cage to either side of the spine, the kidneys are responsible for filtering the blood to remove waste and add it to water to produce urine. They also produce specialized hormones and help to regulate blood pressure. Kidney function tends to decrease with age, putting the body at risk of wastes and toxins building up in the blood and creating a wide range of health complications.

Kidney disease happens when one or both of the kidneys are damaged and are no longer able to handle their filtering tasks, leaving wastes and extra water in the blood. This can be a very dangerous situation that can worsen over time, putting your parents’ health and wellbeing at further risk.

Some things that you should know about kidney disease include:

• Kidney disease, unlike many of the other health complications that you prepare for in your elderly care journey, has no symptoms. This means that your parents are not going to feel any different or notice anything different about their function until the effects of the disease lead to other health problems.

• The most common causes of kidney disease are high blood pressure and diabetes.

• The CDC estimates that over 20 million Americans are currently suffering from kidney disease and many more are at risk.

• Other risk factors for the development of kidney disease include heart and blood vessel disease and family history of kidney disease or kidney failure.

• Kidney disease turns into a diagnosis of kidney failure when the kidneys have less than 15 percent of their normal function.

Though some of the risk factors associated with kidney disease are unpreventable, there are things that you can do within your elderly are journey to help your parents reduce their chances of developing kidney disease, or help them to improve the health of their kidneys and prevent kidney failure should the disease occur. Some of the things that you and their elderly health care services provider can do to help prevent kidney disease include:

• Monitor cholesterol levels and take steps to keep them in a healthy range

• Maintain a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins

• Reduce sodium intake

• Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption

• Lose weight and take steps to maintain a healthy weight

• Drink plenty of water

Get in touch with the elder care agency in your area to find out about hiring an elderly health care services provider who can help you pursue your care goals for your aging loved ones.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring elderly care services in Plainsboro, NJ or the surrounding areas, please call Independence Home Care today at 609-208-1111 for more information.