Many individuals living with multiple sclerosis depend on some level of assistance for their activities of daily living. An experienced in-home care agency can help someone live with the disease more comfortably.
Nourishing a person’s mind, body and spirit are essential when helping a person with MS stay motivated and enabled. The type and degree of help needed will vary from person to person and may even vary from time to time for the same individual due to the changeability of the disease. Here are a few of the ways a home care agency can help with the:
Mind
- Help establish a daily routine, stressing the importance of limiting activities and taking regular rest periods to prevent fatigue and symptom exacerbations
- Explain the importance of eating nutritious, well-balanced meals that contain enough roughage to prevent constipation
- Explain how to use suppositories, if needed, to help establish a regular bowel schedule
- Provide tips and techniques for easier bathing and dressing, assisting as needed
- Help family members with their understanding of MS and their ability to make lifestyle adjustments
Body
- If the person is on bed rest, maintain proper body alignment when positioning
- Protect skin from friction, pressure, and excessive heat, moisture, or dryness
- Assist with body mechanics for good posture, alignment and improved gait
- Promote bladder and bowel elimination by increasing fluids
- Encourage daily exercise and assist with physical therapy
- Provide tasty, nourishing meals and assistance with eating if needed
- Assist with walking and mobility
Spirit
- Offer comfort measures, such as gentle massage and warm (not hot) baths
- Encourage independence by being sensitive to knowing when to take and then give back responsibility for tasks as symptoms come and go
- Provide emotional support
- Provide recommendations for home modification to help conserve energy and increase independence while moving around the home
- Provide recommendations for devices designed to make daily activities more comfortable, such as built‑up utensils, reaching devices and sliding boards
Additional services a home care agency can provide:
- Grooming, toileting and safe transfers
- Scheduling
- Socialization
- Light housekeeping
- Errand services
- Laundry and linen washing
- Groceries and incidental shopping
San Diego Home Caregivers understands the needs of someone with MS and provides traditional and non-traditional in-home care offerings based on each person’s needs, whether the needs are daily, weekly, temporary or long-term. Contact us today for a free in-home assessment and we’ll develop a customized plan of care that coordinates seamlessly with other care providers.
