Senior Bruising Easily

Is your elderly loved one experiencing more bruising than normal?

Noticing new bruises on your loved one’s arms or other body parts can be a startling sight. If you can narrow down what’s causing the bruising, you can sometimes get it under control.

Observe Your Loved One

The first thing that you can do for a loved one who is experiencing more bruising than normal is to observe what is going on during a normal day.

They may have balance issues they’re not comfortable describing to you or there may be a specific activity that is causing bruising.

By examining a normal day for your loved one, you have some data that you can bring with you to your loved one’s doctor.

Talk to Their Doctor

Once you have done some observation, it’s time to take your loved one to his doctor.

There can be a whole host of reasons why your loved one is bruising easily, so your loved one’s doctor may need to run tests to rule out specific problems. If your loved one’s doctor does determine a medical cause, that can give you a jumping off point so that you can try to get the situation under better control.

Look at Medication Side Effects

Side effects from medications can also lead to bruising.

Some of the most common medications that can cause bruising include:

Aspirin
NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen
Anticoagulants and antiplatelets
Corticosteroids

There may also be medications that your loved one takes that cause problems with their ability to maintain balance, which can lead to an increase in falls. Some medications may not impact your loved one’s balance on their own, but combined with other medications, they may have this effect.

Make Sure Their Home Is Safe

If your loved one is having increasing issues with balance or with falling, make sure their home is as safe as possible.

Handrails can make a huge difference in small rooms, hallways, and even in larger areas.

Remove any tripping hazards such as cords or loose rugs.

Thick carpet with sufficient padding can also help if your loved one is falling often.

Let your loved one’s home health care providers and other family members know what’s causing his bruising so that they can help him to limit his bruising.

Contact Sonas for Home Health Care Services

If you or an aging loved one are considering home health care services in Florida, contact the caring staff at Sonas Home Health Care. Call 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.