Protect Seniors During COVID-19: A Guide For Caregivers

Experts say that senior citizens are one of the most vulnerable populations to severe illness due to COVID-19. Despite the novel coronavirus’ unexpected effects on the older population, you can protect the senior citizen in your life from COVID-related harm.¹

Even if a young person experiences few symptoms from contracting COVID-19, it doesn’t mean that they can’t spread it to older people or that those older people won’t suffer grave health ramifications. If a young person spreads the novel coronavirus to a senior, that person is far more likely to experience the most dangerous consequences associated with this illness.²

For this reason, protecting our society’s most vulnerable populations, like senior citizens, from this sickness is crucial. 

In a time of supreme vulnerability for senior citizens, Like Family Home Health is here to help. It is our responsibility, as well as the responsibility of others at lower risk for severe illnesses, to protect those most susceptible to harm in our society (including people 65 and older. If you or a loved one is a senior citizen, read on to learn more about how this specific population can protect themselves during the novel coronavirus pandemic – and how you can protect them, too. 

Why Are Seniors Citizens Considered “At Risk”?

Senior citizens are more at risk of developing a severe illness with COVID-19 due to the aging process and any underlying health conditions. This means that older individuals are more likely than younger people to need hospitalization, ventilators, and the most intensive care available due to their COVID-19 case.²

Older people tend to have less robust immune systems than those who are younger, and as we age, it gets more difficult for our vital organs to support our entire body. 

Quick facts:

• 16% of our population consists of adults over the age of 65.³
• Over 90% of COVID-19 deaths occur in those 60 years old and over.⁴

Older adults and people with specific immune-deficiencies encompass a large portion of those who must consider COVID-19 a public health concern. Others under the age of 65 may also be at risk for developing the worst symptoms of COVID-19, such as those with autoimmune diseases.¹

Protecting a Senior Citizen You Live With During COVID-19

Family caregiving during the novel coronavirus poses an entirely new set of dangers to people who are 65 and older. Someone who lives with a senior citizen must be especially careful around their loved one. 

Here are some tips for keeping your loved one safe during COVID-19 if you share a residence or are a personal caretaker to an older individual:⁵

• Wash your hands every day, multiple times a day for at least 20 seconds.
• Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough.
• Disinfect all home surfaces daily.
• Wear a mask when shopping, running errands, or any activity that will involve interacting with other people.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Shower and worn clothes daily.
• Pick up as many of your loved one’s prescriptions as possible ahead of time, and all in one visit. This will lessen the amount of trips you must make in public for the sake of your loved one.
• Cancel all unnecessary or non-essential appointments for your loved one.
• Be sure to stay informed about the most recent updates on COVID-19 through sources such as the CDC and Red Cross. 
• Discourage your older loved one from going out, and if they must, encourage the wearing of protective gear, including a mask.
• Always wear personal protective equipment when running errands for yourself or your loved one.
• Encourage your loved one to continue taking their medications for any underlying conditions. This may or may not help your loved one maintain their health and prevent from dangerous repercussions if they do contract the virus.
• Help your loved one stay connected to avoid isolation. Learn more about our elderly companion care services in Washington County if he or she is in need of companionship during COVID-19.
• Make a plan for if your loved one gets sick.

If you are a primary caregiver that needs quick relief, check out our respite care services as well.

Information and Resources on COVID-19

If you are taking care of an older loved one, Like Family Home Health suggests creating a home-made care plan for your family member.

The Centers for Disease Control offers an extensive care plan form for primary caregivers who would like to be prepared if their loved one should become ill. View this form in PDF here.

Right now, we don’t know a lot about the way COVID-19 behaves. We do, however, know that certain populations are at a higher risk for experiencing the more severe consequences of this mysterious illness. We also know that taking certain precautions, like washing your hands and wearing masks, can greatly reduce the likelihood .

Some common symptoms of COVID-19 include:⁶

• Fever.
• Chills.
• Cough.
• Shortness of breath.
• Nausea and other gastrointestinal issues.
• Temporary loss of taste or smell.
• Confusion
• Lethargy.

Should any of these symptoms present themselves in you, your loved one, or someone your loved one has recently interacted with, it may be best to do one of the following:

• Call 911.
• Wear a mask when interacting with others.
• Call your primary care physician before making any doctor’s visits.
• Ask your primary care physician what precautions you should take, for how long, and what your next steps are.
• Isolate yourself in your home until your physician approves.

Fight Isolation in Senior Citizens During COVID-19

If you aren’t able to visit with your loved ones who are older during COVID-19, there are ways to keep them from feeling isolated. You may telephone them, video chat with them, or find more creative ways to send them your love.

Like Family Home Health’s senior care experts can help you virtually visit with your family members and navigate social distancing measures.  

During COVID-19, elderly companion services at Like Family Home Health may come in handy. Our agency upholds the highest COVID-prevention standards and demands excellence from each of our caregivers. Learn more about companion services at LFHH.

Home Health Agency Vs. Long Term Care Facilities

A home health agency can help seniors do more difficult tasks that also put them at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. For example, home health aids can run errands for older individuals and take care of any needed shopping while wearing a mask and practicing the highest health standards. 

Long term care facilities pose unique risks to older people, such as close proximities. Seniors may be more likely to contract the novel coronavirus in a long term care facility than if they lived at home with a caretaker or family members.

For some senior citizens and their loved ones, long term care facilities may be the perfect fit. However, the novel coronavirus outbreak presents families and their loved ones with unusual considerations to make when deciding whether a long term care facility, like a nursing home, is the right choice.

Not only may nursing homes and assisted living facilities for seniors isolate them from their family members due to COVID-19’s constrictions, but they also make social distancing much harder. 

Home health aides can help senior citizens in various ways during COVID-19, such as helping them eat and reminding them to take their medications (thus protecting them from certain conditions).

If you or your loved one decides that a nursing home or senior care facility of some kind is right for you, there are certain specific precautions you can take to protect yourself against COVID-19.

Some of these safeguards recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) include:⁷

• Making any staff members aware if you experience any sick feelings immediately.
• Carefully follow the specific facility’s instructions for infection prevention.

Home Health Aides in St. George, Utah During COVID-19

Depending on a senior’s specific needs, it may be best for them to hire a home health aide. For those in the St. George, Utah and Washington County area, Like Family Home Health is here to assist your loved one with their typical living needs while also taking the utmost measures to protect senior citizens from COVID-19.

Now is the time to support your loved one, their caregivers, and others in the health care industry. 

Like Family Home Health offers long term and short term care for people with many health conditions, such as:

• Seniors with disabilities.
• Adults and seniors with Alzheimer’s.
• Adults and seniors with Parkinson’s.
• Adults and children with special needs, such as those with Cerebral Palsy and Down’s Syndrome.

Although everyone is at risk for developing COVID-19, it’s crucial that we act in solidarity and take precautions for the respect of our loved ones – and our fellow man. 

Ultimately, it is everyone’s business to give extra support to senior citizens during the COVID-19 global health pandemic. Share this article to shed light on how you can help the elderly remain safe during these unprecedented times. 

If you or a loved one are in need of short term or long term home care, reach out to our care experts today. We’ll help you discover what treatment is right for your unique situation.

Sources:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). Older Adults.
2. United States Census Bureau (2017). Facts for Features: Older Americans Month: May 2017.
3. Statistica (2019). Share of old age population (65 years and older) in the total U.S. population from 1950 to 2050.
4. World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe (2020). Supporting Older People During the COVID-19 Pandemic is Everyone’s Business.
5. Red Cross of America (2020). Information for Primary Caregivers.
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). Symptoms of Coronavirus.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). People in Nursing Homes.