While aging looks different for everyone, there are three common conditions that create a need for rehabilitation for older adults. Learn more about each (and how you can avoid them) here.

As we age, our bodies start to wear down. It’s an unfortunate truth, but it’s something we all go through eventually. In most cases, this gradual breakdown is normal and does not impair the activities of daily living as an older adult.

Many seniors remain mobile and independent well into their golden years. In other situations, though, conditions like balance problems and strokes, or the injuries caused by accidents like falls can create a dynamic that requires physical therapy or rehabilitation.

In these cases, extended care is typically necessary, and may be the only way a person can get back to health and continue to live independently.

While not all of these situations are preventable, there are certain preventative actions you and your loved ones can take to ensure health in the long-term.

The 3 Most Common Conditions That Require Nursing Care

From injuries to chronic conditions, these are the most common situations that may land seniors in long-term care or rehabilitation:

1. Strokes

Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Each year, upwards of 140,000 people die from strokes. Beyond that, though, they are the leading cause of long-term disability in this country, with more than 795,000 people suffering strokes annually.

Depending on their severity, strokes can cause slurred speech, impaired movement, and paralysis. After suffering a stroke, most patients go through physical therapy or nursing care to regain strength and re-integrate into their normal lives.

2. Balance Problems

According to Move Forward, a division of the American Physical Therapy Association, balance problems affect 75% of older adults ages 70 plus. While these vary in severity, they can be crippling and can lead to ongoing problems with strength and stability.

When balance problems reach an unstable level, physical therapy is often required to help the senior fix muscle weakness and joint stiffness, and regain the strength needed to live independently or semi-independently.

3. Falls

Falls are very common among people ages 65 and older. In fact, NCOA (The National Council on Aging) reports that one in four Americans ages 65 and older fall annually, and that American emergency rooms treat a senior for a fall every 11 minutes. Falls can cause injury and have a heavy impact on quality of life.

Broken hips, chronic pain, and disability are all potential side effects of falls and can make it difficult for a senior to maintain independence without physical therapy or nursing care.

How to Avoid Needing Rehabilitation as Older Adults (or Speed the Healing Process)

While not all conditions are avoidable, these tips can help seniors stay healthy and speed up healing throughout the golden years:

• Stay active. The more active a senior stays, the lower the risk of injury. Regular activity keeps the heart and bones healthy and can help ward off balance problems and muscle atrophy.
• See a doctor regularly. It’s recommended older adults see a primary care provider on a regular basis. This can help prevent major health incidents and deliver preventative care.
• Eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet is one of the best ways to prevent strokes, heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions that often necessitate rehabilitation.

Want to learn more about staying healthy as you age? Visit our blog to read the latest news.

One of the most traumatic effects of a stroke is losing the ability to communicate, a condition known as aphasia. Up to 40 percent of all stroke victims have their ability to speak or understand speech affected to some degree. Thankfully, speech therapy can help patients regain some or all of this important function.

Communication Problems from a Stroke

A stroke, sometimes called a “brain attack,” occurs when a blockage or burst blood vessel prevents blood from flowing to parts of the brain. The resulting lack of oxygen can quickly cause large numbers of cells in the brain to die. Depending on the area affected, damage from a stroke can cause any number of physical and mental changes.

When a stroke causes damage in one of the areas of the brain dedicated to producing or understanding speech, victims may experience trouble communicating with others. The severity of this impairment varies widely from patient to patient. Some victims may only have minor difficulties, while others may suffer a complete loss of all verbal abilities.

Speech Therapy Benefits

According to the National Stroke Association, nearly two-thirds of the estimated seven million stroke survivors in the United States end up with some level of disability. Receiving rehabilitative treatment by physical, occupational and speech therapists can significantly improve these disabilities.

Senatobia Healthcare & Rehab speech therapists note that working with survivors in the first few weeks after suffering a stroke often helps them to make big improvements in their abilities. Research corroborates these observations, showing that patients who immediately work with a speech-language therapist have an increased opportunity to regain speech and other functions.

What to Expect in Speech Therapy Sessions

Speech therapy sessions typically start with an assessment to establish a baseline of how the stroke has affected the patient’s communication abilities. The assessment includes tests to measure difficulty speaking, understanding speech and reading. Using the results of this assessment, therapists recommend an individualized recovery plan for the stroke victim.

For example, some patients have difficulty understanding the meanings of words spoken to them, known as receptive aphasia. In these cases, the speech therapist may ask the patient to match words to pictures, sort words based on meaning, and judge whether certain words have the same meaning.

For patients that have difficulty speaking words, known as expressive aphasia, speech therapists may ask them to describe their surroundings or repeat simple sounds or phrases. This strengthens the patient’s ability to remember the meanings of different words and connect them to both the spoken and written forms.

Family Involvement in Speech Therapy

For some patients, involving a loved one in the recovery process can be an effective way to improve the results of therapy. Therefore, speech therapists often invite family members to participate in sessions and observe the exercises. Family members are also provided with written instructions for exercises they can practice with their loved one at home between sessions.

The best way to prevent damage from a stroke, however, is learning to recognize the signs of a stroke and immediately seek medical attention when you see them. In 2009, the National Stroke Association popularized the acronym F.A.S.T. to help improve recognition of these symptoms:

• F = FACE — Ask the person to smile. Look closely for an uneven smile or pronounced drooping on one side.
• A = ARMS — Ask the person to raise both arms in the air and hold them there for a few seconds. Look for one arm drifting towards the ground or weakness on one side.
• S = — SPEECH Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Listen for slurred speech or unusual speech patterns.
• T = TIME — If you observe any of these signs, don’t wait! It’s time to call 9-1-1 and get to the nearest stroke center or hospital.

For Compassionate Care After a Stroke Choose Senatobia Healthcare & Rehab

Our Baldridge Award-winning skilled nursing facility has been owned and operated by the same family since 1978. We provide both short- and long-term care and we strive to restore our residents to independent living as quickly as possible. Reach out to us to schedule a tour and see if our highly-trained medical care team is right for you and your loved ones.