Let’s Face the Elephant in the Room
Chronic Oedema in the Ageing Population
In 1991 I commenced my health professional lymphoedema journey. Back then little was known about this condition and we spent years getting it on the agenda. Much has been achieved including a national health professional lymphoedema organisation the Australasian Lymphology Association (ALA) and a national lymphoedema practitioner‘s register(NLPR) and last year finally a national consumer voice with the Lymphoedema Association Australia.
Screening of cancer-related lymphoedema, in particular following breast cancer, is more common and early intervention prevents more severe cases as well as other associated medical issues. So why do I feel that I am back in 1991? The elephant in the room is chronic oedema in the ageing population. If we were to screen for this type of oedema, so we could detect it early, it would make other forms of lymphoedema such as after cancer treatment seem like a drop in the ocean. But ignoring it creates more problems and side effects, which can affect the quality of life of the individual and ultimately affect the health dollar.
While we celebrate Lymphoedema awareness month in 2023 let’s try and start to think about how we can get this elephant out of the room. Like in 1991, it requires the collaboration of many organisations and individuals, both health professionals and members of the public. We need to do this now as decisions are being made that will affect how chronic oedema in the ageing population will be treated in the future. The government is developing a model of care, for the ageing population and chronic oedema is not on their radar. We have a responsibility to make sure it is and that we can provide early intervention and the quality of care that is currently now more common amongst the cancer-related lymphoedema cohort.
We know a lot more about lymphoedema / chronic oedema compared to the 1990s. Most of the research has been related to cancer management but the ageing population chronic oedema research is slowly catching up.
Let’s use what we know and carry out further research to fill the gaps so we can manage chronic oedema in the ageing individual as well as we manage other forms of lymphoedema.
Help is available
As a lymphoedema practitioner, I often feel frustrated that the success of management strategies with an older individual is often lost because of a lack of awareness and skills by the organisations that provide aged care services. This includes home care and residential aged care.
Over the past three years, I have been developing tools to screen chronic oedema and courses to assist those providing care for our ageing population. It is hoped that this will also assist and support lymphoedema practitioners when they deliver care to this group of individuals. I am here to assist organisations and health professionals working in aged care facilities or with home-care clients. Lymphoedema therapies often do not succeed due to a lack of support for the older client. That is why a chronic oedema workforce framework is essential and considers all aspects of those caring for someone who is elderly.
