Is Your Senior Caring for Their Oral Health Properly?

By Gauthier Family Home Care | February 1, 2018 | Comments Off on Is Your Senior Caring for Their Oral Health Properly?

As a family caregiver, one of your most important priorities is making sure that your aging loved one stays as healthy as possible as they age in place. You might think of important tasks such as encouraging them to eat a healthy diet, helping them to stay physically active, and supporting their management of health problems through medication compliance and helping them to get to the doctor when they need to. Something that you might not immediately think about, however, is the importance of their ongoing oral health. Problems in the mouth such as infections and inflammation can travel through the body, leading to potentially serious issues such as gastrointestinal issues, liver problems, heart disease, diabetes, and it can worsen osteoporosis. Many seniors, however, stop putting as much emphasis on taking care of their mouth, or suffer from challenges and limitations that make it more difficult for them to properly care for their oral health. Detecting that they are having difficulties can help you to take the proper steps to improve their oral health throughout their later years.

Elder Care in Comstock Park MI: Maintaining Oral Health

Some signs that your parent may not be properly caring for their oral health or may be dealing with oral health difficulties include:

  • Bad breath. This can indicate that your aging parent is not brushing their teeth as frequently as they should or is not flossing like they should. It can also indicate that they are dealing with tooth decay, gum disease, or abscesses in the mouth.
  • Changes in the appearance of their teeth, such as yellowing, appearance of getting thinner, breakage, or decay.
  • Complaints of dry mouth or behaviors that indicate they might be struggling with this, such as sipping water more frequently or swishing water around in their mouth.
  • Complaints of dental pain or behaviors that indicate they might be struggling with dental pain, such as holding their mouth, avoiding hot or cold foods and beverages, and not eating hard or difficult to chew food.
  • Noting blood when they brush their teeth or floss.

 

If you have been looking for a way to enhance your aging parent’s quality of life and help them to manage needs in the way that is right for them, now may be the ideal time for you to start elder care for them. An elderly home care services provider can be with your parent on a fully customized schedule to ensure that your parent gets the level of care and support that they need and deserve whether that is a few hours a few days a week, or more than one care provider with your parent all day and then throughout the night as well. This means that your senior will be able to have all of the care that they need to manage their challenges in the way that is right for them while encouraging them to live a lifestyle that is active, engaged, and as independent as possible as they age in place.

If you or someone you know needs help with elder care in Comstock Park, 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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Posted in Elder Care in Comstock Park MI, Health Issues, Oral Health and tagged