Heart Attacks and Elder Care in Alpharetta, GA: What to Know
Providing elder care for someone who has recently suffered from a heart attack will require some knowledge and understanding. While many family caregivers might immediately assume that the person needs to rest and ‘take it easy,’ that’s not always the right thing to do.
Elderly health care for the heart attack victim is about understanding what a heart attack will do to the body as well as the mind. If you’re responsible for elder care for someone who is recovering from a heart attack, keep in mind some of the things below for a couple of months. This will help the patient’s heart to heal and it will also improve their long-term outlooks.
Make sure that the patient takes care of his or her own needs every morning. Your father may appear weak and frail as a result of his heart attack, but he’s not and you need to make sure that you don’t coddle him. He should be able to take care of the usually routine in the morning, such as getting out of bed, bathing, and dressing.
Make sure that the patient paces himself/herself. It’s important to pace yourself throughout the day. If the patient is feeling tired, then he or she should rest.
Get some exercise, unless the doctor tells you not to. This could include climbing up and down the stairs during the day. It could also include going for walks. Exercise is important to help the body and the heart recover from an attack.
Just be sure that the patient’s doctor has determined that it’s okay for him or her to get exercise.
Avoid heavy lifting until the doctor says it’s okay. Even though it’s important that the patient gets exercise, that doesn’t mean that he or she should be out there lifting heavy things right away. This will take time. The extreme exertion that these heavy lifting activities result in can cause too much strain on the body and the heart.
Don’t allow the patient to return to work or drive until the doctor says it’s okay. Even though the patient may be feeling better and feeling stronger, that doesn’t mean that he or she should go back to work just yet. They also should avoid driving; at least until the doctor says that it’s okay.
When you heed this advice, you’ll be promoting positive elder care for the heart attack patient recovering at home.
