Frailty & Mobility
By Sandra Doru
Frailty is related to the natural process of ageing, which results in a gradual decline of our body's in-built reserves, making individuals vulnerable to sudden, dramatic changes in health.
These changes can be triggered by seemingly small events, such as a minor infection, a change in medication, or a change in the environment. In such scenarios, live-in home care can offer an invaluable support system, providing round-the-clock personalised care in the familiar comfort of home.
Identifying Frailty & Mobility Issues
In medicine, the term ‘frailty’ is used to refer to older people who are most at risk of negative events such as falls and admissions to hospital. It is also partly about a person’s resilience and their ability to recover. For example, being frail means a relatively ‘minor’ health problem, such as a urinary tract infection, can have a severe long term impact on someone’s health and wellbeing.
Many elderly individuals also experience mobility challenges due to conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, or neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease. These conditions can make it difficult for them to perform daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or moving around the house.
Frail elderly individuals often have weak muscles and other conditions like arthritis, poor eyesight, memory problems, and hearing impairment. These individuals may walk slowly, tire easily, and struggle with tasks such as getting out of a chair or climbing stairs. They might be housebound or able only to leave their homes with help. When such signs are present, it's crucial to consider live-in home care to ensure that frail individuals can live comfortably and safely.
Importantly, frailty is not the same as living with multiple long-term health conditions. There may be some overlap, but it’s often the case that a person living with frailty may have no other diagnosed health conditions.
Keeping Active
Frailty can cause fatigue, leading many to seek the comfort of an armchair, becoming sedentary can make things worse by accelerating muscle loss. A live-in carer can encourage light activity within the home, such as using stairs when safe and moving from room to room. Personalised mobility plans can be developed, including a safe exercise program, the use of mobility aids, supportive footwear, and necessary home adaptations.
Nutrition and Hydration
Weight loss is a common symptom of frailty, as muscles tend to thin and weaken—a condition known as sarcopenia. Many frail individuals report a decreased appetite and lack the motivation to cook or even eat and drink. Having a live-in carer on hand to prepare appetising meals and offer snacks and drinks throughout the day has a significant positive impact. It can also take away worries about being able to get to the toilet, that often leads people not to drink enough and become dehydrated.
Medication Management
Older people with frailty are more sensitive to medications, as their bodies are less able to process them efficiently. Normal doses can build up in the body and cause adverse reactions, accounting for many hospital admissions for older people. A live-in carer can monitor the situation on a daily basis and be refer any concerns. This ensures timely and regular reviews of medications with a healthcare professional, like a GP or nurse practitioner, which can help avoid complications.
Supplementation
Supplementation with vitamin D, often combined with calcium, has been shown to reduce the rate of falling for housebound older people. Regular consultations with healthcare professionals can help determine if such supplements are right for an individual's situation and safe to use with any medication they are already taking.
Addressing Loneliness
Being housebound can increase the risk of loneliness, which can lead to depression, poor sleep, impaired thinking skills, increased healthcare usage, and a higher incidence of falls. Regular interaction with a live-in caregiver can alleviate some of this loneliness, providing necessary companionship and emotional support. Involving voluntary sector services, like befriending programs, can also greatly help to tackle these feelings of isolation. A live-in carer can facilitate a client joining community-based activities, providing them with the support and confidence to leave home.
Tailored 1-1 Support
Aging with frailty doesn't mean surrendering independence or comfort. Live-in home care provides a balanced approach, combining necessary support while enabling seniors to stay within their familiar environment. By encouraging activity, managing nutrition, conducting medication reviews, considering supplementation, and tackling loneliness, we can help enhance the quality of life for the frail elderly, especially over challenging winter months.
If you’d like to know more about the process of setting up live-in care, read our article on How Live-In Care Works