VISITING ANGELS CENTRAL COAST IN CALIFORNIA 831-430-0616
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How Professional Home Care from Visiting Angels Can Help Seniors in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties Stay Healthy During Flu Season

Learn how professional home care services can help seniors in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Marina and surrounding areas in California stay safe during flu season

The flu season normally begins in October and lasts until February or March. Millions of Americans catch the flu this time of year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with hundreds of thousands needing to be hospitalized. Most flu-related hospitalizations occur in vulnerable populations, such as adults over the age of 65.

Protecting elderly adults from the flu is especially important this season, since COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to tax the healthcare system. Seniors and their families should be informed of the hazards and preventative measures that must be taken.

If you are concerned about the health and well-being of a senior loved one during flu season, Visiting Angels Central Coast is here to help. Our caregivers can help your loved one create routines that will keep them safe and healthy during the flu season. Best of all, we offer professional home care options that are tailored to the requirements and schedule of the care recipient, allowing us to be present when your loved one needs care the most.

How Can Visiting Angels Central Coast Help My Loved One?

Here are some of the ways our professional home care services can help your loved one stay safe during flu season:

Transportation to get the flu shot

The flu vaccine is both safe and effective at decreasing the risk of infection, and it is readily available at pharmacies, medical offices, walk-in clinics and hospitals. Seniors should obtain flu shots as soon as the season starts to ensure that they are protected for as long as feasible. Because your loved one could possibly contract both COVID-19 and the flu, flu vaccines may be even more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, contracting the flu may make your loved one more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.

Because our professional home care services include transportation assistance, our caregivers can assist your loved one in getting to the nearest clinic or doctor's office to get a flu shot. We can also give them reminders after they've scheduled an appointment, and we can monitor them for any negative side effects.

Assist with personal hygiene

To avoid contracting or spreading the flu, elderly people should practice good personal hygiene. At Visiting Angels Central Coast, our caregivers can help your loved one take care of themselves while treating them with the respect and dignity they deserve. We help elderly folks with their personal hygiene as part of our professional home care services. We can assist your loved one with regularly washing their hands, encouraging them to cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze and assisting them in bathing or showering when they come home from running errands or visiting friends and family.

Keep their home clean

Our caregivers can help maintain your loved one's house tidy in addition to taking care of their personal hygiene. According to the Mayo Clinic, the flu virus may survive for several hours or even days on stainless steel, plastic and other hard surfaces. As a result, our professional home care services include light housekeeping assistance. Cleaning countertops and high-touch areas like doorknobs and light switches can help keep your loved one’s home clean and free of the flu virus. We can also change bedding, do laundry and wash dishes.

Prepare healthy meals

Because seniors are more prone to catching the flu, it is critical that they consume a well-balanced diet to help their immune system fight the virus. Healthy eating, however, may be difficult for certain seniors, particularly those with mobility and cognitive problems. Fortunately, our caregivers can make nutritious meals and snacks for your loved one that they’ll enjoy and will provide the vitamins and minerals they require to maintain their immune system and stay healthy.

Assist with errands and provide companionship

Seniors may benefit from staying at home as much as possible during flu season to minimize contact with people who are infected. The flu virus can spread for up to a day before symptoms show and might last up to seven days. Those with compromised immune systems can be infectious for significantly longer periods of time.

By running errands for your loved one, our caregivers can help them reduce their chances of coming into touch with someone who has the flu. Furthermore, we can satisfy your loved one's companionship needs while they are spending the day at home with our companion care services.

Because we follow CDC guidelines when interacting with care recipients during the COVID-19 pandemic (wearing facemasks and other PPE when interacting with clients and using hand sanitizer on a daily basis), you can rely on Visiting Angels Central Coast to keep your loved one safe.

The flu may be a major concern for seniors, but with appropriate preparation and professional home care services from Visiting Angels Central Coast, your loved one can avoid getting ill throughout flu season.

For more information about our home care services and how we can help your loved one, call Visiting Angels Central Coast at 831-430-0616 to schedule a free in-home consultation.

Serving Scotts Valley, Watsonville, Marina, Carmel, Santa Cruz, Aptos, Salinas, and throughout Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties in California

Visiting Angels CENTRAL COAST IN CALIFORNIA
5274 Scotts Valley Dr #102
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
Phone: 831-430-0616
Fax: 831-430-0612
HCO #444700002

Serving Scotts Valley, Watsonville, Marina, Carmel, Santa Cruz, Aptos, Salinas, and throughout Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties in California

Visiting Angels CENTRAL COAST IN CALIFORNIA
5274 Scotts Valley Dr #102
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
Phone: 831-430-0616
Fax: 831-430-0612
HCO #444700002