About one in seven U.S. adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD). Almost two out of five adults 65 or older have kidney disease. Your mom’s just been diagnosed, and her doctors are all recommending skilled nursing care services for now. What can skilled nurses do that you can’t?
Your Mom’s Health Plan Changes
To manage kidney disease at home, your mom has a number of steps to follow every day.
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Skilled Nursing Care Willard OH – Discover the Importance of Skilled Nursing Care With Kidney Disease
Follow a low-sodium diet.
- Take and record her blood pressure every day.
- Get enough sleep.
- Avoid becoming dehydrated or overhydrated.
- Maintain GFR and urine albumin levels through regular blood tests.
- Take medications as prescribed.
- Keep her A1C blood levels low, again by testing her levels through a blood draw.
- Lose weight and stop smoking if necessary.
A lot of this will have her going to her kidney specialist frequently. It also requires a number of lifestyle changes, and that can be difficult to manage without support. She may become stressed having to leave her home regularly for another blood test or check-up.
If it reaches a point where your mom needs dialysis, that’s another clinic visit. But, there are ways she can do home dialysis. Skilled nursing care providers can help your family understand what all of this means.
How Skilled Nursing Care Aides Help Out
One of the things a skilled nurse can do is help your mom with her new diet. She’s going to need to adjust her meals and snacks to be low in sodium and even sugar. Your mom also has to monitor her intake of saturated fat if she’s trying to lose weight and lower her blood pressure. Planning meals with little sodium, fat, and sugar is an adjustment that skilled nurses can help with.
Your mom has to carefully take her medications each day. She can’t forget a dose. Nurses help with medication administration. If your mom should need an injection or IV at any time, it can be done at your mom’s home.
If your mom needs home dialysis, it’s something skilled nurses with the right training can help her with. Ask her doctor if it’s possible. It can be far less stressful than having to go to a clinic every week or month.
Another benefit to skilled nurses is that they can check your mom’s blood pressure, draw blood for tests, and report the findings to your mom’s medical team. If adjustments to her medications are necessary, her skilled nurse helps out and prevents her from having to go back to the hospital or medical clinic.
Skilled nursing care can help your mom learn how to manage kidney disease and take better care of herself. Talk to a specialist in skilled nursing care about the things her medical team advised and arrange the services that match her doctor’s recommendations.
Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/ckd-national-facts.html
If you are considering hiring Skilled Nursing Care Services in Willard OH, call the caring staff at Central Star Home Health at (419) 610-2161. Providing services for families in Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, Crestline, Galion, Shelby, Ashland, Ontario, Bucyrus, Mt. Vernon, Marion, Willard, and the surrounding areas.
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