Arthritis impacts nearly 60 million adults and while it's common among older adults, it is not a normal part of aging.
Any type of arthritis causes pain, stiffness and inflammation of the joints. These effects can make it difficult to move around or perform activities of daily living, such as showering and dressing. Severe arthritis even can contribute to falling.
Common Types of Arthritis
Over 100 different types of arthritis might affect an aging adult, with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) being the two most common ones. Arthritis can affect a person’s quality of life and ability to live independently, so it pays to talk to your loved one’s healthcare provider about possible treatments to improve your relative’s health and wellbeing.
- Osteoarthritis – results from wear-and-tear on the joints.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis – an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks tissue in the joints, causing inflammation.
Listen and be Empathetic
Take their concerns seriously and communicate with them to their healthcare provider, especially if there hasn’t been a diagnosis and symptoms are present.
Keep a Journal of Symptoms
Family caregivers can help track when and where pain occurs. They can also help to track medications taken, foods eaten and activity or movement. This information can help identify patterns and provide valuable information to healthcare professionals. The Arthritis Foundation has an app that helps track symptoms and patterns.
Communicate with Healthcare Providers
Often multiple healthcare providers care for older adults. The family caregiver can help keep communication consistent among all of them, which helps ensure everyone is on the same page and the person with arthritis is getting the medical care needed.
Encourage Movement and Regular Exercise
Seek out exercise or movement classes. The Arthritis Foundation has several great tools to help with this including the Walk with Ease Program and Your Exercise Solution. Even small amounts of movement throughout the day can add up and significantly improve symptoms: laps around the house (indoors and outdoors), chair exercises and stretching. Be sure to consult a healthcare provider before introducing exercise into the routine.
Assist with Medication and Treatment Management
Arthritis is often treatable with medication and other remedies. Family caregivers can help ensure treatment plans are being followed with some simple ideas like asking a pharmacist for an upside-down cap and using a pill popper device in foil packaging. There are also prepackaged medication systems that package all medications into easy-to-open daily packs.
Assist with a Nutritious Diet
For some people, the food they eat can impact their arthritis. Caregivers can prepare arthritis-friendly foods and encourage them to eat a well-balanced diet. Learn more about the benefits of a Companionship Diet to help combat isolation and loneliness.
Encourage Weight Loss if Needed
Excess weight can cause additional strain on weight-bearing joints such as hips and knees. Family caregivers can play an important role in empowering and encouraging a loved one to lose weight and keep it off – even a ten percent reduction can help reduce joint pressure. Remember to consult with a doctor about weight loss.
Hire Professional Help
Helping a loved one maintain as much independence as possible is the goal. For some, the assistance of a professional is beneficial. An Occupational Therapist can offer ideas to remain independent and keep as much functionality as possible. Professional in-home care can assist with tasks that are more challenging due to arthritis such as meal preparation, light housekeeping and medication management.
Remain Positive
Arthritis symptoms can sometimes cause an older adult to be discouraged by what they can no longer do. It is crucial for family members and caregivers to remain positive and focus on what their loved one can still do. There are many arthritis-friendly products that can make life easier.
Arthritis-friendly Solutions for Cooking
- Foam handles and arthritis-friendly utensils.
- Sit while chopping and preparing foods to reduce fatigue.
- Use adaptive cutting boards to stabilize foods.
- Utilize a crockpot for easy one pot meals.
- Hire a home care company to assist with advanced meal preparation.
- For boiling foods, utilize portion control strainers that can be left in the pot while cooking and that drain water when the strainer is lifted.
Arthritis-friendly Solutions for Dressing and Grooming
- Install grab bars in shower, bathtub and around the toilet.
- Toilet seat risers can help reduce the effort needed to sit down and stand up.
- Automatic dispensers or pumps for grooming products help reduce the need to squeeze bottles.
- Seek out adaptive grooming products with special grips and handles.
- Button hooks can help with small buttons or Velcro can be used to replace buttons all together.
- Sock aids and long-handled shoehorns can help with footwear.
Arthritis-friendly Solutions for Recreation
- Card and game holders can help reduce fatigue while playing.
- Gripping tools on small items (ex: tennis ball on paint brush) can help maintain independence.
- Adaptive gardening tools can help make gardening more accessible.
Long handled shoe horn
Arthritis-friendly dispenser
Card holder
Pill popper device
Hair brush with grips
Family caregivers play a vital role in helping aging loved ones cope with the effects of arthritis while aging in place safely. Coordinating medical care, encouraging physical activity and helping with household tasks can help aging adults live well at home despite the challenges of arthritis.
Find more wellness caregiving resources and don’t forget that as a caregiver, you must care for yourself too. Check out these caregiver support resources.
