Senior Home Health Care For Peripheral Neuropathic Pain Patients

Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by various conditions including diabetes, certain infections, and injuries. It can cause numbness, tingling, and severe pain in the hands and feet, and while mild cases of peripheral neuropathy may not affect a person's ability to perform their daily routines, it can be disabling to others. If your aging family member has peripheral neuropathy, a senior home health care provider may be able to help them achieve more independence and meet their pain management goals with the following interventions. 

Walking And Exercise Assistance

Walking and exercise are very beneficial to those suffering from peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain in the feet. They help promote circulation, reduce nerve inflammation, and relieve pain. If your family member's peripheral neuropathy is caused by diabetes, then walking and mild aerobic exercise may help lower blood sugar levels, which may help prevent the progression of diabetes-related nerve damage.

Many neuropathy patients fear walking and exercising alone because they are afraid of falling because numbness, pain, and tingling in the feet may cause balance problems and weakness. The senior home health care provider can accompany the individual on short walks and during exercise sessions to monitor them for signs of pain and weakness. The caregiver can also bring a wheelchair or ambulation device such as a cane or walker along on the walk so that if the person feels unsteady, they can sit down or steady themselves with the ambulation device. 

Orthotics, Supplements, And Medications

The senior home health care provider can also insert the person's shoe orthotics properly so that they feel more comfortable wearing their shoes when walking and exercising. Many neuropathy patients do not wear shoes or wear shoes that are too big because they suffer from pain. The healthcare provider will ensure that the orthotics are comfortable so that your family member will feel safer and more secure when ambulating.

In accordance with the patient's primary care doctor, the senior home health care provider can administer dietary supplements such as magnesium or vitamin and mineral supplements that may help enhance nerve function and decrease neuropathy symptoms. In addition, the home health care provider can also administer the individual's prescription neuropathy medications to help manage nerve damage progression and pain. 

If your elderly family member needs assistance in their home because of peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain, contact a senior home health care services agency such as Comfort Keepers Home Health Care to learn about their programs. When peripheral neuropathy is well-managed, patients may be less likely to experience severe pain and less likely to sustain an injury from a fall.

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