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MAKE THE HOME SAFER AND EASIER TO NAVIGATE When Lara Manuela Austin Shoop, 55, a ceramics artist in Sonoma, California, was teaming with her brother and husband to care for her father in

the last year of his life, she says they did all they could to make his condo safer for a man with debilitating osteoarthritis. They pulled up the rugs he might trip on, put a riser on his

toilet, added grab bars in the bathroom and bought him several different shower stools until they found one that worked. Lara Manuela Austin Shoop with her dad Eugene (Gene) Dale Austin on

her wedding day in 1998. Courtesy Austin Shoop But his favorite device, she says, was the simple grabber tool he used to get objects from his perch on the sofa. Crow says other good

household tweaks include replacing door and faucet knobs with easier-to-use levers, and putting essential kitchen items between shoulder and hip level. A physical therapist or other expert

can check your home for safety and suggest improvements, Edens says. You can ask your doctor or your Area Agency on Aging for referrals. SUPPORT A JOINT-HEALTHY LIFESTYLE Caregivers can

play “a big role” in encouraging people with arthritis to be active, eat well and make other joint-healthy choices, Bose says. Physical activity is the best way to control osteoarthritis and

is important “no matter what type of arthritis they have,” Edens says. Low-impact activities like walking, biking and swimming can safely ease arthritis pain and improve joint function for

most people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Diet matters too. High-sugar diets are “very pro-inflammatory,” Bose says. And studies suggest a

Mediterranean diet — focusing on fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts, whole grains and fish, and low in red meat and sugar — can reduce inflammation and even help people take fewer pain

medications, Edens says. That diet is also good for your heart, she notes. People with gout need a more specific diet that limits foods high in substances called purines, as well as alcohol

and sugar, Edens says. Purines, which increase uric acid production, are high in red meat and some seafoods, including anchovies, shellfish, sardines and tuna, according to Mayo Clinic.

Staying active and eating well can help control weight, Huffstutter says. Excess weight makes joints hurt more, leading to a vicious cycle, he says: “The more you hurt, the less you move.”

That, he says, can lead to more weight gain and more joint damage. Smoking also can make arthritis worse, Huffstutter says: “It’s well known that patients who smoke with an inflammatory

arthritis like rheumatoid do less well than the patients that don’t.” PROVIDE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT Crow says she often hears about loved ones who say things like “You just need to push through

… it’s just arthritis.” That’s not helpful, she says. “People are not faking being in pain” or feeling exhausted, she says. Accept that “you’ll never know what it’s like to be in someone

else’s body,” and offer them your support when they struggle, Crow urges. That kind of support can reduce a loved one’s experience of pain, she says. Shoop says her best advice is to be

patient. “Give yourself a lot more time than you think you’ll need, like if you have an appointment,” she says. Getting showered, dressed and into a vehicle can be hard for someone like her

late father, she says. “When you’re rushing without allowing for that extra time, it just puts stress on everybody.”  DO ARTHRITIS SUPPLEMENTS WORK? Many people with arthritis use

supplements and swear by them. Here’s what to know about some popular choices: GLUCOSAMINE AND CHONDROITIN: Studies reported by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

(NCCIH), which focus mostly on knee pain from osteoarthritis, are mixed on whether these supplements, made from substances found in cartilage, reduce pain. But “it’s a fairly inexpensive and

safe supplement,” says Chicago rheumatologist Cuoghi Edens. TURMERIC: A review of a small number of studies in _BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine_ found that supplements containing

this common spice might work as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, to improve knee pain and function in people with osteoarthritis. Turmeric might be

worth trying for people who can’t take NSAIDs, Edens says. COLLAGEN: Limited research suggests taking collagen, a building block for cartilage, might help reduce osteoarthritis pain,

according to the Arthritis Foundation. But Edens says she’s skeptical: “There’s not a way for that compound to actually get inside the joint and improve collagen.” Edens says it’s important

to ask your loved one’s doctor about any supplement they take. Some might be harmful when combined with medications. For example, she says, supplements of omega-3 can increase bleeding

risk, just as NSAIDs do.