If your senior parent has trouble breathing at night, there could be a number of factors causing it. Medication side effects, sleep apnea, chronic sinusitis, and other conditions can all make breathing tougher at night for seniors. If you’re worried about your senior parent being alone at night because of their medical conditions, or if they are anxious about being alone at night, you should consider 24-hour home care.
With 24-hour home care your mom or dad will have someone there at night to make sure they are comfortable and safe. If your mom or dad has 24-hour home care and they aren’t anxious about going to sleep that can help them relax and breathe more easily at night. Some other things that can help your senior parent breathe easier at night are:
Running A Humidifier
Adding moisture to the air can help ease breathing, especially in dry environments. A cool-mist humidifier can be particularly beneficial for seniors who get dry nasal passages and sinuses at night. Keeping a humidifier going at night can also help seniors who have allergies.
Running An Air Purifier
An air purifier with a HEPA filter can remove allergens, dust, and other particulates from the air, which can help reduce respiratory issues that can affect your mom or dad’s breathing. It’s always a good idea for seniors who struggle with respiratory issues to have an air purifier at home. In fact, there should be one in the bedroom and one in the living room.
Elevating the Head
Using a wedge pillow or an adjustable bed to elevate the head and upper body can help reduce congestion and improve airflow. If your senior parent has sleep apnea or sinusitis keeping their head propped up can help open the airway and improve the quality of their breathing.
You can also get an adjustable bedframe that will allow your senior parent to raise their bed up to the angle that is the most comfortable for them. This is a great solution for a chronic problem.
Change Bedding Frequently
Regularly washing and changing bedding, including pillowcases, sheets, and blankets, can help reduce allergens such as dust mites that can cause breathing difficulties. Seniors should have their linens changed at least once a week, although twice per week is better. You can also put an allergen reducing mattress pad on the bed to protect your mom or dad from dust mites and allergens in the mattress.
Run A Fan
Ventilation is important for good air circulation and to reduce the chances of mold or moisture in the room. To get proper ventilation in the bedroom try keeping windows slightly open or using a fan to circulate air can help keep the air fresh and reduce stuffiness.
If your senior parent has central air you can turn the fan to the ‘on’ position to keep the fan running all the time. That will improve air circulation throughout the house, even when the air conditioning isn’t on.
How Can 24-Hour Home Care Help Your Senior?
Beyond assisting your senior with improving their overnight breathing through modifying environmental factors, 24-hour home care offers support in many different ways.
If you or an aging loved one are considering 24-hour home care in Cambridge, MA, please contact the caring staff at PlatinumCare + today. Call (617) 237-0867.
PlatinumCare + was born out of the desire and passion to provide the very best home health care possible in Brookline, Dover, Newton, Needham, Watertown, Weston, Cambridge, Lincoln, Sudbury, Belmont, Boston MA, and surrounding areas.
All with decades of experience, Tim in IT Operations, Support, and Management, Brenda in Client Relations, Healthcare Services & Sales Management, and Anne in Healthcare as a Nurse Practitioner combined their skills to form what is now PlatinumCare +.
As immigrants to the US, all came from backgrounds where Healthcare for aging parents was a responsibility of the immediate family and the entire community. Aging, sick, or terminal community members were cared for physically, emotionally, and financially by family, friends, including strangers! This community approach, Healthcare with a difference, delivered with the utmost love, care, sacrifice, and passion, forms the basis of how PlatinumCare + grounds itself.
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