Rheumatoid Arthritis Help with Active Personal Care
Living with rheumatoid arthritis often means longer mornings and dealing with debilitating side effects. Using personal care for help with your rheumatoid arthritis can help maintain a better quality of life for you or your loved ones.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. The body’s immune system attacks the lining of the joints. These attacks cause inflammation and reduce the amount of fluid in the joints damaging the smaller joints of the hands, knees, and ankles. Over time, damaged joints become deformed and lose their function.
People with RA tend to have swollen, tender, and painful joints. Joints become difficult to use. Many people with RA complain about morning stiffness that lasts more than 30 minutes. Fatigue is common. RA can flare up, with the flares lasting between from days and months. 
RA is a progressive disease. Without prompt treatment, RA can spread throughout the body. It has been linked to inflammation of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. RA causes shortness of breath, heart damage, and can decrease vision.
The disease progresses at different rates for different people. The biggest factor is prompt initiation of medication. Newer therapies have drastically reduced the progression of RA.
They aren’t perfect. Studies have shown that up to 35% of people with RA still leave the workforce within 10 years of diagnosis. RA can interfere with a person’s everyday life in many ways. It can interfere with their ability to walk or use their hands/arms to complete their everyday tasks and functions. It can even lead to debilitating fatigue and unintentional weight loss.
How Active Personal Care Can Help with Rheumatoid Arthritis
How Active Personal Care Can Help with Rheumatoid ArthritisActive Personal Care understands what living with rheumatoid arthritis is like. Our personal care aides are available to help how you need and when you need. We are available weekdays, weekends, and evenings, however long you might need us. We are available for long-term, short-term, or more temporary needs, like those needed during a flare up.
Some of the ways Active Personal Care Aides can help you manage your rheumatoid arthritis include:
- Medication management
- Help with housework
- Meal preparation
- Help with morning stiffness
- Bathing and dressing assistance
- Respite for caregivers
- Develop a light exercise program
- Safety supervision
- Errands and grocery shopping
Active Personal Care’s Tips for Caregivers
The Arthritis Foundation has recommended several simple actions anyone living with rheumatoid arthritis can take to help manage their symptoms. These include:
- Daily Movement. Even without a daily exercise routine, movement can be part of your day-to-day routine. Taking the stairs and parking further away in the parking lot are easy ways to increase your daily movement.
- Balance Activity with Rest. Rest is important in managing your RA, especially during flare ups. Rest reduces inflammation and fatigue. Taking breaks can protect your joints and preserve energy.
- Hot and Cold Treatments. Heat treatments for stiff joints and tired muscles and cold treatments for painful and swollen joints are easy ways to manage your RA.
- Positivity and a Good Support System. Don’t let RA take over your life. Find time to do things that you enjoy and that lift your mood. Develop a good support network that you can rely on.
To learn more about the Arthritis Foundation’s recommendations, click here.
Why Choose Active Personal Care?
Living with rheumatoid arthritis means living with painful and swollen joints. It means longer mornings and potentially debilitating side effects. Everyday tasks progressively get more and more difficult. Active Personal Care is here to provide that additional support you might need. If you or a loved one could use a little extra help to manage your day, give us a call. We can schedule a free, in-home consultation and come up with a care plan designed around your specific needs.
