While confusion and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have spread nearly as quickly as the virus itself, one harrowing fact has been clear to doctors and scientists since the pandemic’s inception. Adults over the age of 50 are at a markedly higher risk of suffering severe health consequences upon contracting COVID-19.
Since hospitalizations and death rates for older adults remain disproportionately high, it’s no wonder that friends and family members of elderly individuals find themselves feeling desperate to protect their loved ones. If you’re worried about the senior in your life, implement these tips for lowering seniors’ coronavirus contraction risk.
Opt for in-home care
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, minimizing contact with large groups of patients or care providers will significantly reduce your loved one’s chances of coronavirus exposure. Hiring a dependable in-home care service like this will give you and your elderly loved one peace of mind as they gain access to consistent, safe, and private care. The right in-home service can offer companionship, medical care, and assistance with performing day-to-day tasks while helping your family member maintain a safe distance from potential exposure.
Prepare for extended stays at home
Due to the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge seniors to limit travel outside of the home. Help your loved ones hunker down by setting them up with several weeks’ worth of groceries, medications, and necessary supplies. Offer plenty of entertainment options like books or puzzles and secure reliable technological tools to support everything from virtual doctor visits to Zoom calls with the grandkids. If leaving the house is necessary, make sure that your loved one wears a mask, disinfects their hands regularly, and maintains a distance of six feet from others at all times.
Embrace digital forms of connection
Since older adults tend to have slowed or weakened immune systems, reducing exposure to potential COVID-spreaders is critical to curtailing your loved one’s contraction risk. Even still, your family member doesn’t have to forgo social interaction entirely. While it may be a good idea to consider prohibiting friends or family members with illness symptoms from visiting during the pandemic, socially distanced options for social interaction are available. Teach the senior in your life to utilize digital communication options like video chat forums or social media platforms. With access to safe correspondence with friends and family members, seniors and their inner circles can stay connected from a distance.
Diligently disinfect surfaces and high-traffic areas
While COVID-19 tends to spread via respiratory droplets, surfaces can become contaminated with the virus and lead to infection. Keep your elderly family member equipped with hand sanitizers and plenty of EPA-registered disinfectants, and encourage them to disinfect surfaces, like countertops and door handles, frequently. Help out with more intensive deep-cleans after visitors enter the home and require guests to wash their hands immediately and wear a mask while visiting.
Be proactive about potential in-home exposures
If someone who lives in your loved one’s home shows signs of illness or is positive for COVID-19, it’s time to spring into action. If you can’t remove high-risk family members from the location until the sick individual is no longer contagious, you should encourage the implementation of necessary precautions like mask-wearing and ramped-up disinfecting measures. The ill individual ought to remain quarantined to their room and use a separate bathroom than other household members. Be vigilant when observing your loved one for symptoms and seek medical care at the first sign of respiratory distress or illness.
Before you go
Worrying about the senior citizen you love most contracting a potentially lethal disease is downright distressing. Luckily, by remaining attentive and supporting the best exposure-reduction practices, you can help ensure that your loved one has a fighting chance to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than ever.