Chronic illness, often called as long term illness, can be stressful for the patient as well as for the people looking after him. It is a long-term health condition which may or may not have a cure. The illness often comes with additional stress as it changes the way you live your life or relate yourself to others.
Chronic Illness Characteristics
Chronic illness is often characterized by the following:
- A long illness
- Complex causes
- Long latency period
- Involve a number of risk factors
- Functional impairment or disability
Common Chronic Illnesses Affecting Seniors
- COPD
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Osteoporosis
- Lung cancer
- Heart Disease
- Mood Disorders
- Multiple sclerosis
- Alzheimer disease
- Parkinson disease
- Chronic kidney disease
Problems Associated with Chronic Illness
According to the National Council on Aging, about 92 percent of seniors have at least one chronic disease and 77 percent have at least two. Seniors suffering from chronic illness become dependent on their caregivers. If your parents are suffering from a chronic illness and it is difficult for them to visit their primary physician, choose in home care for elderly.
Utah Doctors At Home offer medical care at home to patients who cannot travel to see their physicians. With a team of experienced doctors and physicians, UDAH provides high-quality home care for elderly in their own homes at no additional cost.
Patients suffering from chronic illness need to:
- Understand the problem
- Know how to control the symptoms
- Live with the physical effect of the problem
- Deal with the long-term effects of the medical problem
- Communicate clearly with their doctor and caregiver
- Maintain a confident and positive self-image
- Cope up with negative feelings
- Avoid social isolation
Let People Help You
To live with chronic illness can make a person feel alone. Therefore, it is important to connect with people around you and talk to them.
Talk to people who have a similar illness to share your experiences and learn from them. You can find a support group in the area you live in. There are many hospitals and organizations that run support groups. Alternatively, you can find an online group and discuss your problem with them.
Tell other people about your problem, its symptoms, and what to do in case of an emergency. This will make it easy for them to provide you with emergency care. While initially, you may worry that they don’t want to know about your problems, or they will judge you, but when you are suffering from an attack and you need emergency care, you will be grateful that you share your problem with them. Sharing about your illness with people will keep you safe.
Get Help
If it is becoming a tough task to visit a physician, get the doctor to visit you in the comfort of your home. Utah Doctors at Home offer mobile medical services and makes in home care for elderly an easy task. Our mobile medical team is made up of skilled physicians, nurse practitioners, and an experienced team of health professionals to provide high-quality medical care at home.
Also, remember to be comfortable while accepting help as many people are ready to help someone in need and are often glad that their help is asked for.
