How In-Home Care Can Help Seniors with Lupus
Lupus: In-Home Care Hudsonville MI
Around 1.5 million Americans have lupus. Each year, around 16,000 more people are diagnosed with it. Spend time on World Lupus Day learning more about this disease and what it means for your mom’s care needs. In-home care is a great option for both you and your senior loved one who needs help navigating the symptoms of lupus. Here are a some more important facts to know about.
What is Lupus?
If you’re not familiar with the disease, it’s not surprising. Sixty percent of people do not know anything about lupus.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells. This attack affects the health of muscles, skin, and even your body’s organs like the heart, lungs, and kidneys. Typically, women develop lupus in their childbearing years, usually between the ages of 15 and 44. The disease is far more prevalent in women with 90% of the diagnosed cases occurring in females.
Types of Lupus
- Systemic lupus erythematosus: This is the most common type of lupus and accounts for 70% of cases. Its symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, fever, and unexplained rashes. Around half of the cases of systemic lupus erythematosus lead to inflammation in the heart, lungs, brain, or kidneys.
- Neonatal: This form of lupus occurs when a mother’s lupus passes to her unborn infant, causing inflammation, rash, fever, and liver problems at birth. It does tend to clear up on its own.
- Drug-Induced: Some medications create this type of lupus. The symptoms are the same as systemic lupus erythematosus, but they disappear when the person stops taking the medication that caused it.
- Cutaneous: Around 10% of lupus cases are cutaneous. A rash forms over the bridge of the nose and the cheeks. The inflammation only affects the skin and doesn’t impact the joints or organs.
Pain is the Most Common Complaint
Chronic pain is the most common symptom. It occurs in 65% of lupus cases. The pain can make it hard to function, so support is essential. Your mom may need someone to do the housework for her, drive her around, and help her run errands.
It Takes an Average of Six Years to Be Correctly Diagnosed
Lupus is very commonly misdiagnosed. It can take around six years before lupus is diagnosed. This can increase frustration, especially if your mom keeps developing new symptoms that make it harder to function each day. It can impact her mood and make it hard for her to do things with others.
When your mom has lupus, she must have the support of her family. She’s going to need help with housework, laundry, transportation, and meals. She may even need help with some aspects of personal care. In-home care services help with this.
Talk to an in-home care agency to learn more. You’ll be able to ask questions, get prices, and book in-home care that matches your mom’s needs.
If you or someone you know needs help with In-Home Care in Hudsonville, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
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