Are There Special Considerations for Heart Disease in Women?
February is American Heart Month. As a family caregiver it is important that you realize that heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both women and men throughout the United States and is responsible for nearly 18 million deaths across the world each year.
For women, however, there are some special considerations. Many people consider heart disease, heart attack, and stroke a “man’s disease” or believe that few women are affected by this disease. This, however, is not the case. If you are caring for an elderly woman, you should know that heart disease is a serious risk for your senior and that it is vital to make caring for their heart a priority in your care efforts.
Some things to know about cardiovascular disease and women include:
Home Care Darby PA – Are There Special Considerations for Heart Disease in Women?
- Approximately 30 percent of deaths among women in the United States each year are caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke.
- Approximately 1 woman dies from cardiovascular disease every 80 seconds.
- 90 percent of women throughout the United States are living with at least one and possibly multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease or stroke.
- Women are at a higher risk of suffering a stroke at some point in their lives than men.
- 80 percent of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease or stroke could have been prevented.
- Women have lower survival rates for first heart attacks than men.
- Women are likely to experience different symptoms for heart attack than men, making it potentially harder to detect.
- Hispanic women tend to develop cardiovascular disease approximately 10 years earlier than the average age of White women.
- More than 48 percent of Black women over the age of 20 have cardiovascular disease, but less than 15 percent consider heart disease their most pressing health issue.
Encouraging a more active, engaged, and healthy lifestyle can be instrumental in protecting your senior loved one from cardiovascular disease. Support and personalized care from a home care provider can help your parent to make good lifestyle choices, eat a healthy, balanced diet, and engage in more physical activity on a regular basis so that they can better protect their heart as they age in place.
Encourage your parent to learn the risks that women face and the differences in symptoms of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and heart attack that women may experience as opposed to men so that they can make better decisions and feel empowered to take care of themselves.
Just as your parents needs and challenges can change as they age, so can your ability to meet those needs. Whether your senior has developed new limitations or health challenges that require additional care, your own challenges or limitations have increased beyond your ability to fulfill their care needs, or your schedule has become busier and you do not feel that you’re able to give your parent the care that they need, home care maybe the ideal solution.
An in-home senior care services provider can be with your parent on a customized schedule to ensure that they receive the level of care and attention that is appropriate for them and that also takes into account the care that you give them. This means that they can meet their needs, stay safe and healthy, maintain greater independence and activity, and also enjoy the benefits of diversified care from both of you and their care provider.
Source: http://newsroom.heart.org/events/february-is-american-heart-month-6669831
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Darby PA, please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.
Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.
"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."
In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.
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