Caregivers can be vital in helping clients avoid or mitigate the effects of the fractures that are often part of osteoporosis. This widespread disease weakens the bones, and can result in fractures and pain for many seniors and others receiving care from in-home professional care givers.
Millions of people have osteoporosis in the US, and many do not realise it. The fractures it causes are not an inevitable part of ageing. Lifestyle changes are important as well as osteoporosis medicines to help reduce the chance of broken bones. This is why my UK-based in-home care company is spreading awareness about prevention and treatment and aims to raise £10,000 for osteoporosis care and support.
The silent disease
Osteoporosis has been called ‘the silent disease’ because it is often unsuspected, by both the person who has it, and care professionals. It commonly shows no symptoms, so the first time it is diagnosed is often after the patient attends the Emergency Department with a fracture.
The scale of the problem
- A recent US study estimated that 10.2 million people of 50 and over have osteoporosis, while another 43.4 million have low bone mass.
- The same study showed that osteoporosis had increased among women, non-Hispanic whites and all age groups (except for individuals of 80 and over).
- Analyses found that 69.12% of individuals with osteoporosis went undiagnosed (86.88% of men and 84.77% of individuals 50–59).
- One in two women and up to one in four men will break a bone in their lifetime due to osteoporosis.*
- For women, the incidence is greater than that of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined.*
- The disease is responsible for an estimated two million broken bones per year, yet nearly 80 percent of older Americans who suffer bone breaks are not tested or treated for osteoporosis.*
* the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation
What can care providers do?
Diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle play an important part in preventing and managing the disease. Way back in 2004, a reportfrom the Surgeon General, said that “The key is to maintain a healthy weight and diet, avoid smoking, and engage in regular physical activity.”
Physical activity enabled by caregivers
The focus with older people is on promoting bone strength and reducing the chances of fractures. Physical activity helps to reduce the loss of bone and muscle strength that comes with old age. Specific balance and muscle strengthening exercise can reduce falls, many of which lead to fractures.
By bringing activity to their clients, care providers and their caregiver teams can deliver better physical and mental health, and the caregivers can enjoy extra activity and more fun with clients. It doesn’t mean long mountain hikes (unless care clients want these), but regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises.
In-home care providers can help clients access this. At Walfinch we now offer at least ten minutes of activity, of their choice, to clients who receive one hour of care or more. This could be chair yoga or basic exercises (guided by online classes delivered by professionals), working in the yard, a walk outdoors, or visits to local community fitness sessions.
We’re also encouraging all of our network of UK franchised offices to offer Thrive Clubs, which offer group activities such as exercise classes tailored for people with limited mobility or returning to exercise, led by qualified specialist instructors. Our caregivers will take willing care clients, but the sessions are open to anyone in the local community, so they promote socialisation and get clients out to meet new and old friends.
The sessions not only promote mental and physical health, but raise local awareness of our in-home care service, and enable care providers to forge links with local professionals, such as chiropodists, dentists and financial advisors, who come to deliver useful information to Thrive Club attendees.
Other initiatives include offering fracture awareness training to all of our caregivers, featuring tips on osteoporosis prevention and treatment on the Wellness with Walfinch YouTube channel, and highlighting opportunities for clients to check their risk of developing osteoporosis using an online tool offered by the Royal Osteoporosis Society.
The approach in the UK is to have a ‘bone check’ [the technical name for this is a ‘fracture risk assessment’]. This considers all the ‘risk factors’ that affect bone strength. Bone density usually, but not always, forms part of this bone strength check. Decisions about the need for a medicine are based on the calculated risk of the patient breaking a bone in the next ten years. Those who are at high risk are offered a medicine.
Clients diagnosed with osteoporosis can be helped by carers to carry out exercises, guided by medical recommendations. Carers can join in, which is proven to increase the likelihood of clients maintaining their activities.
Caregivers can also help reduce the likelihood of falls, by ensuring that client’s homes are checked for trip hazards.
Why do this?
As well as reducing the number of people affected by osteoporosis and fractures, a campaign like this has a larger goal.
In-home care is widely considered to be a reactive service, where caregivers provide support and comfort to aid clients with conditions associated with age and incapacity. That’s fine, but I want to see care deliver more than that.
Surely it should be proactive, encouraging clients to move towards improved, more active lives?
Many clients and their families fear that engaging a caregiver is the first step to an inevitable decline into frailty and chronic ill-health. If efforts to improve physical and mental health are included in care services, the overall image of care will become more positive.
Far from reducing the number of care clients we attract, numbers could increase, and caregivers will be more likely to want to join our teams. Everyone benefits!
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