This blog is about Caring Tips For The Elderly With Cancer.
Cancer is one of the most widely spread diseases on the planet, with an estimated 18.1 million cases across the globe, including 2.3 million adults aged 80 or above. However, cancer is no longer an incurable disease unless some organs lose functionality.
Care is required to keep the organs safe and has minimal damage, especially for the elderly with a weak immune system. They need care, love, and attention from their loved ones, like a newborn baby.
This article will discuss the tips one needs to take care of when any elderly close goes through a painful cancer experience. These do not include medical therapies since doctors have their professional way of dealing with surgical measures.
Nevertheless, in the case of the elderly, medicine is not provided for every outcome of cancer in the human body since their weak body cannot stand heavy medication. We need to consider some remedies to ease their suffering. End of life care Seal Beach provides care services for the elderly to spend their days with as much comfort as possible.
Listed below are a few tips that would help an elderly cancer patient to feel better in the critical period;
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A healthy diet
A cancer patient, on average, loses up to 15 kg weight faster than in a blink of an eye. Such a drastic drop for a person aged 70 or above is a near-fatal experience. A healthy balanced diet containing the right amount of nutrients for mass growth is required to minimize the weight loss effect.
It is advisable to consult a doctor before deciding on a diet plan for the patient, as some nutritious fruits and vegetables might be dangerous for cancer of a particular organ. Doctors forbid the use of citrus fruits in lung and throat cancer.
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Skincare
The already frail body of an elderly cancer patient experiences an extreme dry spell. Their saggy skin develops cracks due to the chemotherapy sessions and the dehydration resulting from it. In worst cases, the cracks might start to bleed, adding to the pain.
The dryness can be removed by constantly moisturizing the skin with petroleum jelly. Lips are the most affected in this case, so they must frequently be lubricated with a chapstick.
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Keep a pack of gum or candy.
Chemotherapy depresses the taste buds of a patient. They might experience a metallic taste persisting after their sessions. It is an unpleasant experience and might cause the patient to throw up, which might drain every ounce of energy left in the elderly. Keep a gum in the bag for the patient to be immediately eaten whenever the taste buds are affected.
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Take a stroll
Being bedridden is a curse that leads to the road of depression and anxiety, especially in the elderly. Not only this, it also affects the bones as they become stiff and muscles numb. A five- or a ten-minute stroll each day is enough to ensure the healthy functioning of the bones and muscles.
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Follow the SOPs
Cancer, at times, suppresses your immune system, which leads to many opportunistic diseases finding a home in your body. This situation reduces the chances of recovery and pushes one closer to death. It is necessary to make sure the elderly, whenever visiting the hospital, are entirely sanitized and should wear a mask.
Do not allow too many visitors at one time and request them to have a safe distance from the patient.
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Positive vibes
People in old age lose hope when diagnosed with an acute disease. They consider it the end, and their body, in line with their mind, does not respond to the medication well.
The first therapy a patient needs is to revive hope and desire to live. Fill their environment with positive energies. Bring the flowers as they have a profound effect on uplifting the mood. Tell them jokes they might like or sing the songs that give them hope.
Conclusion
Taking care of an elderly cancer patient might be a critical task due to the sleepless nights at hospitals and the constant back and forth between pharmacy, hospital, and home, but the smile it brings on the patient’s face is enough to relieve all the pain you take.
Published by International Pain Foundation, iPain Blog, TeamiPain
