How Can Visiting Angels Help Seniors in Bethesda, MD During Flu Season
Typically, the flu season begins in October and lasts until February or March. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of Americans get the flu this time of year, with hundreds of thousands needing to be hospitalized. The majority of flu-related hospitalizations occur in vulnerable groups, such as seniors over 65.
Protecting seniors against the flu is especially critical this season, since COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to strain the healthcare system. Elderly adults and their families should be informed of the risks and actions that must be taken.
If you are concerned about a senior loved one's health and well-being during flu season, Visiting Angels of Bethesda is here to help. During flu season, our caregivers can assist your loved one in developing routines that will keep them safe and healthy. Best of all, we offer home care solutions that are personalized to the needs and schedule of the care recipient, allowing us to be present when your loved one is most in need of assistance.
How Our Caregivers Can Help Your Loved One Stay Safe
Here are some of the ways our home care solutions can help your loved one stay safe during flu season:
Assist with errands and provide companionship
Seniors may benefit from remaining at home as much as possible during flu season to avoid contact with people who may have the flu. The flu virus can spread up to a day before symptoms appear and can continue for up to seven days. Those with compromised immune systems can be infectious for much longer periods of time.
Our caregivers can assist your loved one avoid coming into touch with someone who has the flu by running errands for them. Furthermore, with our companion care services, we can meet your loved one's companionship needs while they are spending the day at home.
You can trust Visiting Angels of Bethesda to keep your loved one safe since we’ve been following CDC guidelines (wearing facemasks and other PPE while dealing with clients and using hand sanitizer on a daily basis) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transportation to get the flu vaccine
The flu vaccine is both safe and effective at reducing the risk of getting the flu, and it is widely available through pharmacies, medical offices, walk-in clinics and hospitals. Seniors should get a flu shot as soon as the season begins to stay as safe as possible. Because your loved one can potentially get both COVID-19 and the flu, flu vaccines may be especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, contracting the flu may increase your loved one's susceptibility to COVID-19 infection.
Because our home care solutions include transportation, our caregivers may accompany your loved one to the local clinic or doctor's office to get the flu vaccine. We can also send them reminders once they've made an appointment, and we can keep an eye on them for any negative side effects after they get the shot.
Assist with taking care of personal hygiene
Seniors should exercise basic personal hygiene to avoid catching or spreading the flu. Our caregivers at Visiting Angels of Bethesda can assist your loved one in taking care of themselves while also treating them with the respect and dignity they deserve. As part of our home care solutions, we assist older adults with their personal hygiene. We can help your loved one wash their hands on a regular basis, encourage them to cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze and help them bathe or shower when they return home from running errands or visiting friends and relatives.
Keep their home clean
In addition to taking care of your loved one's personal hygiene, our caregivers can assist them in keeping their house tidy. According to the Mayo Clinic, the flu virus can survive on stainless steel, plastic and other hard surfaces for several hours or even days. We provide help with light housekeeping as part of our home care solutions. Cleaning counters and high-touch areas such as doorknobs and light switches can help keep your loved one's home clean and flu-free. We can also change the bedding, wash the dishes and do the laundry.
Prepare healthy meals
Because seniors are more susceptible to contracting the flu, it is vital that they eat a well-balanced diet to aid their immune system in fighting the virus. Healthy eating, on the other hand, may be challenging for certain seniors, particularly those with mobility or cognitive problems. Fortunately, our caregivers can prepare nutritious meals and snacks that your loved one will enjoy while also providing the vitamins and minerals they need to maintain a strong and healthy immune system.
The flu can be a serious concern for seniors, but with proper preparation and home care solutions from Visiting Angels of Bethesda, your loved one can reduce their chances of catching the flu.
To learn how our home care solutions can help your loved one during flu season, call Visiting Angels of Bethesda at 301-490-9050 to schedule a free in-home consultation.