Believe it or not, it’s really easy to overlook arthritis, especially when it first starts out. Arthritis isn’t always the obvious answer to joint pain or to difficult movements. Your senior might blame whatever she’s experiencing on something else until it becomes much more apparent that arthritis is what she’s actually experiencing.

She’s Experiencing Pain in Joints

One of the most common signs of arthritis is a pain in the joints. But when your elderly family member is first starting to experience arthritis pain, she might chalk it up to having done something to that joint or having “overdone” it recently. When that joint pain starts to become more frequent, that might be the indication you’re looking for that the joint itself has experienced some damage and is arthritic.

Her Joints Are Red or Swollen

Another indication to watch for is swelling or redness around the joints in question. There may be pain as well, or there may simply be slight swelling and redness. This can make the joints difficult to move because the inflammation takes up some of that range of motion. Feel the joints as well. If they feel warm to the touch or hot, that can also be a sign that there is deep inflammation within the joints.

Her Mornings May Feel More Sluggish than Usual

Very often people with arthritis find that they experience some of their worst swelling and difficulty moving in the morning, usually right after waking up. She hasn’t been moving her joints much all night and that fluid has been able to build up. Your senior might benefit from gently moving those joints, even if there’s some pain involved in moving them because that can help to reduce that inflammation and warm up the synovial fluid in the joints. This can mean her mornings are a little slower than she’s used to.

She’s Having Difficulty with Certain Movements

Some of the movements your elderly family member has always taken for granted, whether that’s opening a jar or easily threading a needle, can be a lot more difficult for her after arthritis starts to become more of an issue for her. In joints like hips and knees, bending over or walking might be the movements that are becoming more difficult. Talk to her doctor about what she can do to continue to have the same range of motion.

Dealing with some daily tasks can feel so much more complicated for your senior as arthritis progresses. Your senior may find that having elder care providers stopping by to help with regular daily tasks can be incredibly helpful.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care Services in Piedmont, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care.
Call today: (415) 795-2203

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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