'6 Tips On How To Take Care Of Your Parents In Their Senior Years

 With the elderly population steadily growing in most parts of planet Earth, we need to try and provide them with a quality living situation that will give them some sense of security and self-sufficiency. If you happen to love your parents very much and/or you spend a lot of time with them, then there are many things you can do to make their lives a bit easier and more fulfilling.

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Here are some useful tidbits of advice on how to take care of your elderly parents:

1. Make sure that they have access to good, nutritious food at all times. 

If you can, try and figure out what type of food they like the most and then cook as much as you can in order to supply them with what they like. If your parents like canned food, then you should try and find out which brands are the best and buy those canned foods on a regular basis for them. Find out if anyone else in the family wants to chip in by buying certain types of canned foods that your parents might like.

2. Be sure to get the proper insurance and health care coverage. 

If your parent requires caregiving outside of your area of expertise, or simply more time that you can give due to work or childcare, then consider hiring a home health care provider. Caregivers can be scheduled to come to the home to take care of your parent through home health care software. It has useful features that caregivers can utilize for note-taking, relaying client details about your parent to other carers, and more. A home health care provider will hopefully create a bond with your parent, therefore giving them something to look forward to when they visit.

3. Make sure that the house is in good shape.

If your parents still live in their own home, then you should make sure that it is safe and secure. You can do this by checking electrical outlets to make sure there aren't any missing or bare wires, checking the insulation to make sure that there are no signs of water damage or mold growing inside any walls, etc. If you notice anything that doesn't seem right then, you should contact a good home repair professional and ask them to take a look at what's wrong with the house. You might like to invest in a good walking stick for old people.

Repairing faults you notice may be instrumental in preventing falls, one of the most common threats that older adults face. According to the CDC, an older adult (at least 65 years old) suffers a fall in America every second of every day, making it the foremost cause of injury and death among this demographic. Luckily, you can easily prevent falls by ensuring that all stairs and hallways are well-lit and clutter-free. Also, remove all loose rugs from your parent's home or tape them to the floor, so they don't move when walked on. If falls do occur, many personal alarms have emergency buttons for elderly people to help them get the assistance they need.

4. Make sure your parents have access to reliable transportation if they need it. 

If neither your parents nor anyone else in the family can drive a car, then they should seriously consider getting rid of their car and trying to limit themselves from going out as much as possible. However, if someone in the family is able to drive them around without causing an accident or anything like that, then perhaps they can keep their car in good working order and use it when they need to pick up groceries or visit a doctor. You can also look into getting an Uber account for your parents so that they have access to reliable transportation at any time of day or night.

5. Hire someone you trust to take care of the housework duties.

For example, your parents might need help cleaning the house when it's time to do laundry or when they want to vacuum the floors. You can hire a maid service, just get someone you know and trust to help out with these types of chores and it will definitely be much cheaper than putting your parents in an assisted living facility. If they do have to live in a nursing home, remember that there is a nursing home abuse attorney for hire should you ever need one.

6. Make sure your parents get to see the proper doctors on a regular basis.

This will allow you to get all of your parent's health issues taken care of in one appointment instead of forcing them to make multiple trips to receive different treatments for their various conditions. If your parents are able to drive themselves, then you should encourage them after they get home from the doctor's office to go out and pick up their prescriptions.

 7. Help them with their plans for the future

Understandably a difficult conversation, it is important to begin the discussion of the future and what your loved one’s wishes are for when the unfortunate time of passing comes. It may be hard, but planning for seniors is an important part of being able to enjoy your remaining years comfortably and stress free. Figuring out funeral plans and the financials surrounding it may seem an impossible conversation, but once had, provides a sense of relief for everyone in the family.

In Conclusion 

It's important that you help your parents out as much as possible during their senior years if they are going to continue living their life at home. If your parents end up having to go into a nursing home, then it will be harder for you to get them the care that they need on a regular basis.

The Impact of Cannabis to the Health Industry

Cannabis sativa is one of the most widely used drugs in the world. Though it is still considered illegal in many countries, a few countries, including the United States, now acknowledge the potential benefits of legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational purposes.

Many people consider marijuana an effective treatment for many illnesses despite the lack of scientific knowledge about its effects. This article explores the medical benefits and risks of marijuana consumption.

What are the known medical benefits of cannabis?

Pain Relief 

Medical cannabis is widely used to relieve chronic pain in the United States. Chronic pain affects millions of adults worldwide and is one of the primary causes of disability among adults.

The reason behind medical cannabis as a pain control measure is that it is much safer than opiates, another drug that offers pain relief. MrHempFlower.com also stocks a wide range of THC-based edibles like gummies that patients can use to ease body pain.

Patients are less likely to overdose or acquire an addiction when using medical marijuana than opiate alternatives. Medical cannabis is particularly effective in easing nerve pain and discomfort arising from multiple sclerosis.

Other available options for treating multiple sclerosis pain include Neurontin and Lyrica; however, they are highly sedating. Medical marijuana offers pain relief while allowing patients to go about their normal activities. 

Overcoming Alcoholism and Drug Addiction

A medical journal published by clinical psychology review revealed the potential use of marijuana in fighting alcoholism and drug dependency. Individuals with severe addictions to hard drugs like cocaine can turn to less harmful drugs like cannabis, a phenomenon known as harm reduction therapy when full abstinence is impossible. 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is currently conducting more studies to assess the effectiveness of synthetic THC in overcoming methamphetamine addiction and relapse. 

Cannabis Use in Overcoming Depression, Trauma, and Anxiety

For a long time, cannabis has been used in herbal medicine to help patients cope with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Medical marijuana is quite popular among veterans returning from war zone areas who suffer from PTSD.

Some PTSD patients show significant improvement when using cannabis in PTSD therapy. However, the repeated use of medical cannabis can pose other problems to patients. There is always the risk of addiction and dependency after long-term use.

Use of Cannabis in Cancer Therapy

Recent medical studies point to the effectiveness of oral cannabinoids in overcoming nausea and vomiting that is common after chemotherapy sessions. Some patients who smoke cannabis tend to cope better during the post-chemotherapy recovery period. 

Recent scientific studies show that THC and other cannabinoids can slow down malignant cell growth and even kill certain cancerous cells. Though medical cannabis is a safe treatment for cancer symptoms, so far, no evidence supports the use of marijuana as a cure for any type of cancer. 

Cannabis Use in Epilepsy Treatment

In 2018, the food and drug administration (FDA) issued its approval to use cannabidiol medications in treating two severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and Dravet syndrome. These two types of epilepsy are treatable using Epidiolex, a CBD-based medication.

Patients who undergo the CBD-based treatment experience fewer seizures than those on alternative medications.

Risks of Marijuana Use

While marijuana has some health benefits, many studies report the negative impact of marijuana, especially after long-term use.

Daily cannabis consumption can worsen patients' mental health conditions with bipolar disorder. Regular cannabis users are more likely to harbor suicidal thoughts than non-marijuana users. 

Frequent marijuana use also exposes users to a host of respiratory diseases. Long-term marijuana smoking can contribute to the development of lung cancer. Recreational use poses more risk than medicinal use because it involves higher dosage and frequent intake of the drug. 

Summary

Though marijuana is effective for pain control and relieving anxiety, patients still need to consult their doctor to assess the appropriateness of marijuana in their treatment program. There is a need to conduct more scientific studies to determine the implications of growing marijuana use in public health.