Caregiver Tips for Seniors Suffering from Sleep-Disordered Breathing

As a family caregiver, you likely think about the issues, dangers, and potential problems your senior will face when they are awake, but what about when they are sleeping?

Humans spend a surprising 30 percent of their lives sleeping, and many issues can occur during this time that negatively impact their functioning when they are awake.

Sleep-disordered breathing, a term used to describe a variety of health problems related to abnormal breathing patterns during sleep, is the most common form of sleep disorders.

Helping your senior cope with their sleep-breathing problem can help them to stay healthier and safer, and create a more fulfilling lifestyle as they age in place.

4 Caregiver Tips for Seniors Suffering from Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Use these tips to help you in your caregiver role to care for a senior who is dealing with sleep-disordered breathing:

1. Don’t Rely on Snoring

Many people think if a person is dealing with disordered breathing while sleeping, they will snore. This, however, is not necessarily the case.

While snoring is a very common symptom of disordered breathing while sleeping, it is not the only one, and it is not always present.

Do not think that just because your parent is not snoring they have gotten over their disorder or they are “recovered.”

2. Encourage Them to Lose Weight

Being overweight not only increases the chances your parent will develop disordered breathing but can also make it more severe. If your parent is overweight, encourage them to lose those extra pounds in a safe and healthy way.

3. Make Better Lifestyle Choices

If your elderly parent uses tobacco products or consumes alcohol, discuss with them how changing these choices can help them to improve their breathing and sleep.

4. Discuss Medications With Their Doctor

Certain medications, including muscle relaxants, can increase the symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing.

Discuss your parent’s medications with their doctor to find out if they might be influencing their symptoms and if there are alternatives your parent might be able to switch to in order to control these symptoms better.

Contact Sonas for Home Health Care Services in Florida

Have you noticed your senior loved one’s challenges and limitations have gotten worse?

Do you no longer feel confident you can give them the level of care they need, or your limitations or schedule have changed and you cannot provide them with the care you would want to?

Starting home care for them might be the ideal solution. Whether your parent needs only a small amount of support such as transportation and help with activities of daily living, or more extensive care and support, you can work with an in-home care provider to personalized a schedule and an approach to help them address their challenges and limitations in the way that is right for them.

As a family caregiver, this can give you peace of mind knowing your senior is in good hands both when you can be with them and when you are not.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring home health care services in Florida, contact the caring staff at Sonas Home Health Care today. (888) 592-5855.

Jillian Miller BSN, RN

Director of Nursing at Sonas Home Health Care

This blog was reviewed by Jillian Miller BSN, RN — Director of Nursing for Sonas Home Health Care’s Tampa Bay market — for clinical accuracy. Jillian Miller has been a nurse for 16 years — working primarily in pediatrics. She believes the best part of working with the pediatric population is when you see smiles from clients when you first enter the room. She loves seeing the difference you can make in families’ lives while providing the best care possible for them.