What Causes Your Senior to Feel Fatigue?

Regular Home care can help senior struggling with fatigue

Regular home care can help seniors struggling with fatigue.

When someone feels constantly tired, drained, or has a lack of energy, this is what you know as fatigue. It can happen to anyone, but believe it or not, it is not a normal part of life, especially for seniors. Many people believe that fatigue is a normal part of aging and that it is something that all seniors experience, this is simply not true. If your senior mom or dad is tired and chooses to nap, the tiredness usually goes away. However, if it does not, that is when there could be a problem.

If your elderly loved one has someone like a home care provider to help them around the house, they can note these things for your senior, and those notes can go to the doctor at your senior’s next appointment. Here are some things that may be causing your senior loved one to feel fatigued.

Pay Attention to Medications

Chances are, as your senior mom or dad gets older, they will take more medications to manage problems or conditions. Unfortunately, this means there is a chance that medications can interact badly together or one of them has a bad side effect that can cause fatigue. A home care provider can help a senior remember to take medications but also notice any patterns that happen after a medicine is taken. The more a doctor knows the more likely they are to find a better alternative.

Figure Out if it’s an Illness

Often, seniors experience long-term chronic conditions or illnesses. If you know your loved one is struggling with arthritis, it could be related to their fatigue. A senior needs to explain their fatigue, and a doctor will help them determine whether or not it is related to the illness they are battling. They may be able to find things that will help with a senior’s fatigue or give them lifestyle tips that should be followed.

Watch for Infections

Home care is wonderful for seniors who wish to age in place because it can help care for your loved one. A home care aide can help a senior shower, change, and look out for things like infections. When your senior has an infection they don’t know about, it can lead to excess fatigue. Home care can help your senior notice any abnormalities that must be reported to the doctor.

Understand Grief

If your loved one has lost a partner or family member, this could cause them to feel grief. They may experience anxiety and depression during this time, which may lead to them feeling extra tired for long periods of time. Grief is exhausting, and if your senior loved one has lost someone they love, they should listen to their body during this time. However, it is also something to keep an eye on. Too much sleep can be bad for a senior’s body.

Stress Can Cause Fatigue

If your loved one is stressed by different life situations, it can lead to fatigue. The best thing for a senior is to find someone they trust to talk about what they’re feeling and try to find solutions to the stress. By limiting the amount of stress they feel, they may be able to limit their body’s fatigue.

 

If you or someone you know needs Home Care in Spanish Fort, AL, please contact the friendly caregivers at  Hughes Home Care. We provide quality and affordable care for your elderly loved ones in our community. Serving Mobile & Baldwin County. Call us today at (251) 517-9901 

James Hughes