Updated June 08, 2015.

As we age, statistically our chances for acquiring comorbid conditions grows too. For example, someone with high cholesterol in their 40's, may develop hypertension in their 50's thanks to the atherosclerosis that may have been linked to the high cholesterol count. This same person may then develop adult-onset, Type 2 diabetes in their 60's. And sometime in their early 80's, this same person may develop some form of dementia and perhaps even Alzheimer's disease.

These conditions stacked within the same person are known as "comorbidities," "comorbid conditions," or "comorbid diseases." In other words, when a person suffers from two or more chronic diseases, they are said to have co-morbidities.

The person I described in the above paragraph is a hypothetical person, yes, but statistically speaking, those are some very common real-life comorbidities. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, are common risk factors for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). In the United States, CHD is the most common cause of death for both men and women. So managing the risk factors, and in fact reducing your exposure to them in the first place, will help your chances in avoiding a CHD diagnosis.

A growing body of studies have indicated that managing these cardiovascular comorbidities in Alzheimer's and dementia patients has had a positive quality of life impact on patients with cognitive impairment, not only improving their condition but slowing the decline of cognitive function (orientation, registration, attention and calculation, recall, and language).

Use this checklist as you plan for the care of seniors with comorbid conditions, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes,CHD, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease:

• Medical Alarms
  • Fall alarm monitors
  • Motion sensors to prevent wandering
  • Medical alert systems
  • Pull string monitors
  • Paging systems
• Incontinence products
• Bathing wipes (for waterless bathing)
• Height-adjustable beds
• Bibs
• Blood pressure monitors
• Cholesterol monitors
• Underpads
• Commodes
• Wound care kits
• Pressure bandages
• Pressure Ulcer prevention supplies
  • Safe patient handling equipment such as gaits, belts, pads, benches, and lifts
  • Creams, lotions, and soaps to care for the skin
• CPR aids
• Crutches and other mobility aids such as walkers and scooters
• Defibrillators
• Denture adhesive
• Glove, mask,gown, cap dispensers
• Wound dressings, gauze, bandages
• Eye pads and eye wash
• Fall prevention supplies such as chair mats, fall mats, walkers, transfer benches
• Glucose monitors for diabetics, as well as for those whom their doctors believe to be at-risk
• Insulin syringes
• Mattress overlays (to prevent stretched or torn skin)
• Irrigation syringes
• Medication dispensers
• Nebulizers
• Pulse oximeters
• Minor Procedure Kits
• Sharps containers
• Cotton stockinettes
• Heel and elbow suspension products
• Hemostatic gauze to stop bleeding and aid in clot formation
• Medical cotton tipped applicators
• Pen lights
• Ointments and petroleum jelly
• Nail clippers and brushes
• Scissors and shears
• Skin prep such as betadine or povidone iodine prep solution
• Iodine remover pads
• Tape remover
• Skin wipes that create a layer on the skin to protect against the irritation that can often result from adhesives
• Sponges
• Suction catheters
• Surface cleaners such as germicidal wipes and sani-cloth wipes
• Thermometers
• Urinary leg bag
• Urinary drainage bag
• Catheter insertion kits
• Wheelchairs and wheelchair scales
• Wound measurement devices, such as sterile foam tipped tools that can safely measure decubituc ulcers and tunneling wounds; can double as a specimen collection device.

Patients hospitalized with Alzheimer's disease statistically have more than seven comorbidities. Some of the most common include cardiovascular diseases such as Coronary Heart Disease, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Therefore, when preparing for the care of a patient, it is important to plan for all of their conditions, not just the one that brought them to admission to your hospital or long-term care facility.
Sources: Desai AK, Grossberg GT. Diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Neurology 2005;64(12 Suppl 3):S34-39. Cummings JL et al. Guidelines for managing Alzheimer's disease part I: Assessment. American Family Physician 2002;65(11):2263-2272. Backman L et al. Rate of cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer's disease: The role of comorbidity. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 2003;58(4):P228-236. Zamrini E et al. Medical comorbidity in black and white patients with Alzheimer's disease. Southern Medical Journal 2004;97(1):2-6; Doraiswamy PM et al. Prevalence and impact of medical comorbidity in Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 2002;57(3):M173-177; Sanderson M et al. Comorbidity associated with dementia. American Journal of Alzheimers Disease and Other Dementias 2002;17(2):73-78.