Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune condition that happens when your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Surveys show that an estimated 1 million people or 30% of people diagnosed with psoriasis also have psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes a scaly, dry, red rash that often appears on a person’s knees, elbows, ankles, feet, and hands.

If you have psoriatic arthritis, you may experience symptoms such as swollen fingers and toes, foot pain, lower back pain, fatigue, less range of motion, nail changes, and swelling and pain around the tendons.

Symptoms that are often seen in psoriasis patients may also develop, such as scaly skin, especially on your knees, elbows, and scalp. There are also some cases where a patient may feel stiffness and tiredness in the morning.

Types of Psoriatic Arthritis

Oligoarticular
This type of psoriatic arthritis is often a milder type that affects four or fewer joints in the body.

Polyarticular
On the other hand, this type of psoriatic arthritis can be a more severe type that affects four or more joints in the body.

Psoriatic Causes and Risk Factors

While doctors aren’t sure what causes psoriatic arthritis to develop, there are a few elements that may play a role:

Genes
Having a parent or relative who has psoriasis triples your chance of developing psoriasis, which, in turn, makes you more likely to get psoriatic arthritis.

Infection
An infection that sets off your immune system could be to blame.

If your loved one is struggling with discomfort from psoriatic arthritis or some other condition, it may be time to consider Home Care to help ease their pain.

Contact Lowenhill Home Care Services to learn more about the options available to your senior!

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An estimated 45,000 adults die every year from complications due to vaccine-preventable diseases. This is because most adults don’t feel the need to get vaccinated or are worried about the possible side effects of vaccines. However, seniors aged 65 and older are at higher risk of developing complications without vaccinations.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month — and we at Lowenhill Home Care Services show our support to this cause by encouraging our clients to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Here are some of the most important shots for older adults:

Influenza/Flu Vaccine
Seniors must get an annual flu vaccine, especially if they have underlying high-risk conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease.

Pneumococcal Vaccine
Pneumonia is responsible for 60,000 deaths each year. If your loved one is over 65 and has previously been vaccinated, they can get a one-time repeat vaccination if five (5) years or more have elapsed since their original shot.

Zoster Vaccine
The zoster vaccine has only been available for a few years. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s essentially a security measure that helps prevent and/or minimize a shingles outbreak. Shingles is a painful, uncomfortable, contagious blistering rash. The vaccine decreases your chances of getting it by 50%.

Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis (Tdap)
More and more seniors are getting pertussis, or whooping cough, possibly due to fading immunity. If you are less than 65 years old, the Tdap vaccine will protect you against the disease the best. On the other hand, if you’re older than 65, you can get the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine without the pertussis component

COVID-19 Vaccine
The risk of severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age. Therefore, the CDC recommends that adults 65 years and older receive COVID-19 vaccines to help prevent developing severe COVID-19 symptoms.

• 2024: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2023: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2022: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2021: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2020: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2019: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2018: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
• 2017: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec