Premature Aging in Adults with Cerebral Palsy
As if cerebral palsy weren’t difficult enough to deal with on a daily basis, adults who live with CP often have to face issues related to premature aging. This is about more than just looking older. It’s about feeling older and about organs, joints, and other bodily systems literally wearing out too soon.
Developmental Delays Affect Organ Systems
Organ systems, such as the pulmonary system or the circulatory system, can experience huge developmental delays early in your family member’s life. This puts strain on these systems later in life. They’ve already experienced deficits, but the body needs those systems to continue to function. This can wear out entire groups of organs quickly.
It Takes More Energy to Do the Same Things
It takes a certain amount of energy to perform any task, but the amount of energy varies from person to person. For you, it may be no big deal to walk across the room. But for your family member with CP, it can take a massive amount of energy to perform those same movements. This additional energy burn and wear and tear has an impact that affects your family member every day.
Repetitive Motion Injuries Are Common
When most people start to complain about feeling older and about parts of their body not working like they used to, the culprit is generally due to repetitive motion injuries. These are injuries that occur over time and for a long while might feel better with rest. Over time, those same motions create problems that rest no longer resolves fully. This can lead to osteoarthritis, which is permanent damage to those joints.
Pain Is an Ongoing Problem
It’s incredibly painful to deal with all of these different issues and more as an adult with cerebral palsy. That pain can be a constant backdrop to every single thing that your family member does and it can make her feel far older than she really is. Beyond the physical drain and expense of pain, it’s emotionally costly on a daily basis as well.
Because of the extra effort and energy that it takes for an adult with cerebral palsy to simply get through each day, having some help can reduce that workload on the body. Home care for cerebral palsy can help your family member to reduce repetitive motions, rest when tired, and reduce overall stress levels, all of which can help when managing premature aging.
If you are considering participant assistance and care in Avon, IN, please call the caring staff at RSI Cares. Serving Greater Indianapolis Area. Call for Immediate Info & Assistance: 317-471-0750.
As a practicing Registered Nurse, Etelka was keenly aware of a void in quality patient care that could be provided in the home. She embarked upon a journey to develop a home health care agency that would exceed all expectations and become a trusted partner to physicians and patients.
A Distinguished Career From Nurse to Director of Nursing to President of Home Services Unlimited
Etelka’s distinguished career followed a logical progression to her position as President of Home Services Unlimited. She graduated as a nurse practitioner with a Bachelor of Nursing (RN) in 1972 from Meshgorya University in the Ukraine, close to where she lived with her family. She married her husband Phil in 1973 and decided in 1977 that they would relocate to the United States to be closer to family and to come to this land of opportunity. With an eagerness to continue her budding career, Etelka sat for and passed her Boards in the U.S. in 1979.
A Love and Talent for Working with the Elderly
Etelka began her nursing career in the U.S. at Colonial Crest, now part of Golden Living, where shewasthe In-service Coordinator, the Director of Training and Education and Director of Nursing, a position she occupied for several years.
With a group of partners, she co-founded Adept Corporation, which operated group homes for the mentally challenged. The business was successful and in 1996, Etelka sold her share to return to her roots, caring for the elderly.
In January of 1997, Etelka opened Home Services Unlimited as a fully licensed business to provide home health care. In her quest to learn to do better for her patients, she had already obtained a Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) in May of 1990 from the College of St. Francis. As President of Home Services Unlimited, Inc., Etelka guides the trusted, experienced care model Home Services Unlimited uses to continue providing excellent home health care.
Giving Back to the Community of Indianapolis
Volunteering for community services is a high priority for Etelka. Her memberships include the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Executive Women in Health Care and the Indiana Association for Home and Hospice Care, where she is a member of the Board of Directors.
Etelka has also served on the Board of Directors with Hooverwood Home, a highly regarded geriatric facility, since 1997 and as the President for 2005-2006. Through her community work, she has received several awards and accolades, including the Nora McFarland award in 2002, from the Indiana Association of Home and Hospice Care.
Etelka was honored as a “Health Care Hero” by the Indianapolis Business Journal. The issue can be read online here:
http://mags.ibj.com/activemagazine/welcome/html/ibjhch.html.
After clicking on the link, then click on the image of the issue’s front page. After that, you can browse through the issue or click in a box near the top of your internet browser to adjust the page to 17, which is where Etelka’s article appears.
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