Premature Aging in Adults with Cerebral Palsy

Participant Assistance and Care in Avon IN

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.

Etelka Froymovich