Comfort Keepers Senior In-Home Care in Racine, WI: Understanding Breast Cancer Risk In Seniors
Senior In-Home Care agencies around the U.S. are talking about breast cancer awareness this October - Comfort Keepers of Racine, WI offers the following advice for your senior loved one!
As we age, it is natural to become weaker and many seniors face challenges dealing with one or multiple chronic conditions. Often this focus on existing conditions can overwhelm seniors and their loved ones and breast cancer prevention and screening, alongside screening and prevention for other illnesses, falls to the wayside.
In order to prevent your older loved one from experiencing preventable hardship, we at Comfort Keepers senior in-home care providers recommend that family members consider the positive impact caregiving could have on their loved one. With a Comfort Keepers senior in-home care professional, your loved one will get the assistance they need to stay on top of their current medical conditions and also screen for and prevent other potentially more serious ones.
In the United States, there are currently living more than three million people who have battled breast cancer and won. This is only proof of the fact that medicine has advanced and the chance of surviving breast cancer is very high if detected early. However, it is still the second deadliest cancer among women even though deaths from breast cancer have been steadily decreasing since 1989 according to the American Cancer Society.
So, what is breast cancer? It comes about when a mutation or other abnormality happens in genes that are tasked with cell growth. If this mutation causes cells to grow quickly and irregularly, they can cause a tumor. This is the case with both malignant and benign tumors.
Some of the most common risk factors for breast cancer include age, whether or not there is a history of breast cancer in the family, radiation for other cancers in the chest area, alcoholism, and hormone shots.
Self-examination is paramount to catching breast cancer early. It is recommended that each woman, particularly those over the age of 65 perform self-examinations at home on a regular basis. Unfortunately, many older women, particularly those with limited mobility or arthritis, have a difficult time carrying out these self-examinations. Fortunately, a Comfort Keepers senior in-home care professional can help seniors carry out these exams.
A caregiver can also help your loved one go to the doctor and get an examination and breast cancer screening. If your loved one no longer drives, we provide incidental transportation and will make sure your loved one makes their appointment, giving you peace of mind.
To find out more about breast cancer screening and how a Comfort Keepers senior in-home care professional can help your loved one, please give us a call today at (262) 884-3930.
