Managing Chronic Diseases: Effective Coping Techniques for Seniors

Managing Chronic disease becomes more difficult when it hits at an older age. With age comes lots of hardship when your body is demanding support and your bones are giving up on getting up. This makes the seniors dependent on their families, whether they like it or not, making them feel depressed and caged in their feelings. However, there is a solution for seniors who are suffering from chronic diseases and want to live an independent life. For seniors, chronic disease management services like Sahabhaav are there, where we focus on holistic management of chronic diseases to support seniors living healthier, happier lives.

What are Chronic Diseases and The Growing Challenges

Chronic diseases are long-term health conditions that require medical attention for a year or more and are often cannot be cured completely and can be managed through lifestyle changes, medication, and regular medical care. Some of the chronic diseases include diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and arthritis.

According to a study, in India, about 75% of Indian seniors live with at least one chronic illness, and around 23% have two or more chronic diseases. In urban areas, seniors face more chronic disease, around 30% more than in rural areas. Most cases are of arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

The latest reports claim India’s elderly population will hit 319 million by 2050, making chronic disease management services more critical.

Why Managing Chronic Disease Matters?

Managing chronic conditions properly can help in many ways:

• Delay complications and hospital visits- Proper chronic disease management helps control symptoms from worsening, and early treatment can reduce the risk of any complications.
• Improve independence and overall quality of life- By maintaining a healthy life and managing chronic diseases, seniors can live an independent life, stay active, follow daily routines, and enjoy a better quality of life.
• Reduce healthcare costs- Preventing disease progression and avoiding hospital stays or treatments can lower medical expenses.

For example, according to a study, they have found that regular health check-ups reduce death risk by nearly 45% and help detect other problems like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cancers, and many more. This proves that management of chronic disease leads to early diagnosis, regular care, and better outcomes.

Core Components of Chronic Disease Management

1. Education and Self-Care:

One of the most important parts of managing chronic disease is understanding it. Seniors should learn about their conditions, causes, and how to take care of them or treat them to prevent further complications. Join chronic care programs or consult your doctors for a better understanding of your disease and treatment. The right treatment can help seniors lead a healthy life without any dependency. Education provides seniors with the confidence to take better care of themselves and is a key factor in effective chronic disease management. For example, people are not aware that diabetes and high blood pressure often occur together; if this information is shared, it will benefit the seniors and prevent them from further problems.

2. Regular Screening and Monitoring:

Regular health check-ups, like blood pressure, glucose levels, cholesterol, and weight tracking, help detect health issues early. They are part of managing chronic disease services and are proven effective in lowering risk over time.

3. Medication Management:

Many seniors use multiple medicines, and proper information regarding the medicines is necessary. If one medicine conflicts with the other, it might create another problem. Timely refills are necessary, and counselling on affordable prices can also be a great help. At Sahabhaav, we keep track of the medication and regular check-ups. We understand the importance of taking proper medication on time, with necessary exercise or meditation recommended by the doctors.

4. Lifestyle Adjustments:

Healthy eating is the first step towards a healthier life. The seniors suffer from many diseases, mostly due to a lack of intake of proteins, nutrients that are necessary for the body. They need to eat whole grains, fresh vegetables, lean protein, and low salt and sugar. Physical exercise is another key factor that needs to be given importance for waking up your body from becoming clumsy. They need to do gentle exercises like walking, breathing, and meditation. The last thing we need to keep an eye on is the stress level that increases due to the loss of interaction and stress caused by diseases. This can be kept in control by the above methods and also by socializing.

5. Care Coordination:

Managing chronic illness often involves multiple specialists. Coordination between these specialists can help to make the treatments work well together and reduce medical mishaps or overlapping of medicines.

6. Social support:

While dealing with chronic diseases, older people go through an extreme mental load, which will adversely affect their medical conditions. However, with socializing and family interactions, this can be controlled and help in mental well-being.

Sahabhaav’s Approach to Chronic Disease Management

At Sahabhaav, we understand that every senior is different and needs care according to their lifestyle and health conditions. We offer a personalized care plan for each senior that includes their diet, their exercises, their medication, and their doctor visits. We focus on how to manage their chronic diseases without disturbing their peace.

Here are a few things we do to help the seniors deal with chronic disease:

1. Educational Workshops:

We organize simple and informative workshops about common chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, and more. We help seniors and their families understand the causes, symptoms, and treatments. Learning more about the illness makes it easier for seniors to manage it with proper care and keep track of their medications.

2. Personalised Support:

At Sahabhaav, we offer trained nurses and caregivers who will help with the daily health needs that include services like giving medicines on time, helping plan healthy meals, suggesting physical activities, socializing with others, or helping them do stress-relief activities like breathing exercises. This kind of support is essential for the management of chronic diseases.

3. Regular Check-ups:

We have health camps for regular check-ups, and we even have doctors on standby for emergencies. These regular check-ups are a part of chronic disease management services that help detect health issues early and prevent further complications.

4. Family Involvement:

We believe family involvement is a necessary part that can’t be skipped for better results. There are family visiting hours and video calls to communicate with family, to make them feel comfortable and happy. This shows that their family cares and loves them, which encourages them to heal rapidly. This is one of the best methods for managing chronic diseases.

5. Community Groups:

Old age comes with the loss of friends and near ones. However, at Sahabhaav, we encourage seniors to have group talks, laugh, and stay active. We organize group activities like yoga, exercise, games, walks, or music karaoke sessions. This leads to improving mental health, which is important in chronic disease management.

Sahbhaav’s approach to chronic disease management helps seniors stay healthier, independent, and happier. Their goal is to help seniors lead a life full of dignity while managing chronic diseases with confidence.

With 75% of Seniors Facing Chronic Illness, Sahabhaav Offers a Better Way: 

Sahabhaav’s methods for managing chronic disease are thoughtful and are backed by strong surveys and real-world results. Here’s how we work:

• Chronic Diseases Are Often Connected – Studies have shown that many seniors face one chronic illness and often discover another one. For example, diabetes and high blood pressure are linked, and around 43% of people with diabetes suffer from hypertension. This shows why chronic disease management should be merged with treating one condition and can often help manage another as well.
• Mandatory Regular Health Check-Ups- According to surveys, regular health check-ups can reduce the risk of death by nearly 50% and risks like blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol tests are a part of effective chronic disease management services. When health problems are detected earlier, it becomes easier to treat and has less impact on the body.
• Healthcare Can Be Expensive- In some states, the healthcare facilities are so costly that they are barely affordable for seniors, making them aloof from medical checkups or treatments. In those states, seniors pay out of their pocket to manage chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. However, it becomes hard to pay to stay consistent with their treatment. That’s why there is a strong need for affordable chronic disease management services that include regular check-ups, medicine, and daily care support. This is what Sahabhaav is working on to provide.
• Increase in Chronic Diseases- According to a study, about 75% of the Indian senior population has chronic illness, which is rising day by day, making it necessary to provide chronic management services to take care of the seniors. These numbers are a reminder that there is a need for well-planned, people-focused chronic disease management services like those offered at Sahabhaav.

Useful Chronic Disease Management Tips for Seniors and Caregivers

These plans support effective management of chronic disease in day-to-day life. At Sahabhaav, they support planning on how to treat chronic diseases in seniors without affecting their lifestyle.

Finally,

Management of chronic disease is about treating seniors well and giving them the right support to help them manage their condition. This includes education, lifestyle changes, proper medication management, social support, family interaction, and encouragement. At Sahabhaav, the seniors find it like their second home with the facilities and environment they receive, resembling their homely surroundings. Sahabhaav is dedicated to seniors, to suppress their illnesses and let the seniors lead a life full of dignity and hope.

Looking for chronic disease management services? Contact Sahabhaav and let your loved ones live a fuller life with 24/7 monitoring and facilities that will help the seniors manage their illness without losing their smile.

FAQs about Managing Chronic Diseases: Effective Coping Techniques for Seniors

1. What is chronic disease management?

Chronic disease management involves taking steps to manage long-term illness and its care through lifestyle changes, medications, and support services.

2. Why are regular check-ups important?

Regular check-ups are important as they detect problems earlier before they get worse, and you can start the treatment before.

3. Can chronic disease be cured?

Most cannot be cured, and hence they require proper management with the right care and regular doctor visits.