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Herbal Remedies and the Elderly |
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I ran into a bit of a problem last winter when my mother came down with
a very intense cold. Since she is 87 years old, even a common cold can
be serious. She is also on medication to control her blood pressure so
it is difficult for her to take over-the- counter medications. I called
her doctor and he told me that the cold needed to run its course. The
doctor suggested that my mother should get plenty of rest, take in
plenty of fluids, and take a non aspirin pain reliever.
I decided to go to the store and pick up some soup and juice for my sick mother. I ran into Sister Anna, a Catholic nun that has been a family friend for several years when I arrived at the store. I told her that mom was not doing very well right now because of the cold.
She told me that she had great herbal remedies that worked well for people that could not take the over-the-counter drugs. She also assured me that the herbal remedies are safe for people with high blood pressure. She informed me that the majority of the herbal remedies were in the form of tea. I told her that since mom like to drink hot teas, this would be a good thing for her.
Sister Anna made arrangements to come over to see mom later in the day, and she would bring along some of the teas. I told her about mom’s symptoms so that she would bring the best herbal remedies. I explained that my mother was suffering from a cough, and sore throat along with the runny nose. Sister Anna answered that she had just the right thing to soothe mom’s symptoms and help her to get some much needed rest.
I went back to my mother’s apartment after I picked up the things that she needed. I made a light lunch of soup and crackers and I told mom that Sister Anna would be stopping over to bring some herbal remedies. Mom told me that she was really feeling miserable and was willing to try anything.
Sister Anna brought over several tea bags, and I put on the tea kettle and took out the tea pot so that I could steep the tea. She explained that it was very important to let the tea steep for at least 15 minutes before drinking it. I added a teaspoon of honey to the tea and gave mom a cup. My mother said that she felt very tired after about 45 minutes.
Sister Anna went on her way, and I helped mom into her bedroom. Mom slept for more than four hours, and she told me that she felt a bit better when she woke up. I did not know if she felt better because of Sister Anna’s herbal remedies, but I was relieved that mom’s condition improved.
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