Getting A Grip On Arthritis

OMAHA, Neb., May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Arthritis Foundation®, one in five adults in the U.S. lives with arthritis.  Of those diagnosed, 21 million reportedly face arthritis related activity limitations. Those limitations increase an individual's risk of falling and independently performing everyday tasks, ranking arthritis among the top chronic conditions that create safety issues within the home. In an effort to bring awareness to this debilitating disease during Arthritis Month in May, Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care® network, has collaborated with the Arthritis Foundation to help support people diagnosed with arthritis.

"For the more than 50 million Americans who are estimated to live with arthritis, staying active and creating a safe home environment should remain their top priority," said Jeff Huber, President, Home Instead, Inc. "We appreciate the content provided by The Arthritis Foundation, Inc. which has been incorporated into the new tools and training to help people with arthritis successfully manage the disease."

Arthritis poses a serious threat to individuals, to businesses and to the economy as a whole. The goal at the Arthritis Foundation is to remove the burden of arthritis entirely through a cure.  The Arthritis Foundation's mission is to improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control and cure of arthritis and related diseases.

The Arthritis Foundation provided content to Home Instead, Inc.  to create a suite of tools and training for families and professional Home Instead CAREGivers(SM).  Included in the tools is a consumer-focused video series on living at home with arthritis. Topics include common forms of arthritis, some of the available treatments and suggestions to help prevent getting arthritis, tips on how to live with or care for someone suffering from the symptoms and what the Arthritis Foundation is doing to help.

According to experts at the Home Instead Senior Care, caregivers can create a safe home environment for their loved ones by considering the following tips.

1. Encourage Healthy Habits
   Motivate loved ones to help improve their health with fitness and nutrition. Through targeted exercise and a healthy diet, loved ones will help to better manage any loss of mobility.
   
   
2. Master Pain Management
   Multiple ways exist to help a loved one manage the pain that may come along with arthritis. The experts at the Home Instead Senior Care network and the Arthritis Foundation suggest family caregivers first work with their loved ones' health professionals to learn how to help them manage their medications and follow their treatment plans. Other ways caregivers can help their loved ones cope with pain include helping ease anxiety and reduce emotional stress as well as encouraging more restful sleep.
   
   
3. Get Involved
   The Arthritis Foundation provides opportunities for the public to get involved with a number of programs throughout the year. Programs such as the Walk to Cure Arthritis exist to aid in the funding for disease related prevention and research efforts. Utilizing arthritis resources that are available online also proves to be another important way to stay involved and up-to-date with tips to help keep loved ones safe.
   
   
4. Learn to Relate
   Experts from the Home Instead Senior Care network and the Arthritis Foundation encourage caregivers to start meaningful conversations with their loved ones about arthritis, while keeping an open mind during discussions about care and pain.
   
   
5. Find Support  
   Caregivers often feel overwhelmed, isolated and trapped. As a caregiver, make sure to find ways to help support yourself as well as your loved one. Attending local support groups and utilizing self-help aids and tools prove to be two ways to obtain caregiver support.

"Caregiver support is crucial to the success and safety of a loved one diagnosed with arthritis," said Huber. "We want caregivers and their loved ones to know that they are not alone in the fight against this disease."

For more information on how to help loved ones suffering with arthritis, visit www.homeinstead.com and www.arthritis.org.

About the Arthritis Foundation
Striking one in every five adults and 300,000 children, arthritis is the nation's leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is committed to raising awareness and reducing the unacceptable impact of this serious and painful disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest. The Foundation funds life-changing research that has restored mobility in patients for more than six decades; fights for health care policies that improve the lives of the millions who live with arthritis; and partners with families to provide empowering programs and information.

ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE
Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care^® network provides personalized care, support and education to help enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, this network is the world's leading provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,000 independently owned and operated franchises that are estimated to annually provide more than 50 million hours of care throughout the United States and 17 other countries. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ approximately 65,000 CAREGivers(SM) worldwide who provide basic support services that enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. The Home Instead Senior Care network strives to partner with each client and his or her family members to help meet that individual's needs. Services span the care continuum from providing companionship and personal care to specialized Alzheimer's care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources. At Home Instead Senior Care, it's relationship before task, while striving to provide superior quality service. 

Media Contact:

Gina Presley
(314) 982-0589
[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140522/90515

SOURCE Home Instead Senior Care