How In-Home Care from Visiting Angels Denver Helps Elderly Adults Stay Healthy During Flu Season

With personalized in-home care from Visiting Angels, seniors in Wheat Ridge, Denver, Golden and surrounding areas in Colorado can get the support they need to increase their chances of staying healthy during flu season

Flu season usually starts 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 being hospitalized. The majority of flu-related hospitalizations occur among vulnerable groups, particularly those aged 65 and older.

Protecting seniors from the flu is especially critical for older persons this season, since COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to strain the hospital system. Seniors and their families should be aware of the dangers and precautions that must be taken to avoid getting sick.

If you are worried about your senior loved one’s health and well-being during flu season, Visiting Angels Denver can help. Our caregivers can assist your loved one in establishing habits that will keep them safe and healthy during flu season. Best of all, our in-home care services are personalized based on the care recipient's needs and schedule, allowing us to be present when your loved one needs assistance and support.

What You Should Know About Flu Symptoms in Seniors

The following are common flu symptoms for older adults:

Fever
Chills
Sore throat
Cough
Runny or stuffy nose
Headaches
Muscle or body aches
Fatigue
Vomiting and diarrhea

Flu symptoms can range from mild to severe and might escalate quickly. Additionally, seniors who have the flu may start showing severe symptoms and need medical attention immediately.

If your loved one starts showing the following symptoms, they should see their doctor as soon as possible:

Difficulty breathing
Sudden dizziness
Severe vomiting
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Confusion
Inability to wake up
Inability to urinate
Symptoms that improve and then return with fever or worse cough
Worsening of chronic medical conditions

How Our In-Home Care Services Can Help Your Loved One During Flu Season

Here are some of the ways in-home care from Visiting Angels Denver can help your loved one stay healthy this flu season:

Assist with personal hygiene

Elderly adults should maintain proper personal hygiene to avoid catching or transmitting the flu. At Visiting Angels Denver, our caregivers can assist your loved one in taking care of themselves while treating them with the respect and dignity they deserve. Our in-home care services include assistance with taking care of 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 with bathing or showering when they return home from running errands or visiting friends and relatives.

Keep their home clean

In addition to assisting your loved one with taking care of personal hygiene, our in-home care providers can help keep your loved one's home clean. According to the Mayo Clinic, the flu virus can survive on stainless steel, plastic and other hard surfaces for several hours or even days. Fortunately, our in-home care options include assisting seniors with light housekeeping tasks. Cleaning worktops and high-touch locations such as doorknobs and light switches can help create a clean in-home environment. We can also change bedding, do laundry and clean dishes.

Prepare healthy meals

Since seniors are more vulnerable to getting the flu, it's vital that they eat a well-balanced diet to assist their immune system in fighting the virus. Healthy eating, however, may be challenging for certain seniors, particularly those with mobility and cognitive problems. Fortunately, our in-home caregivers can prepare meals and snacks that your loved one will like, as well as supply the vitamins and minerals they need to gain strength and remain healthy.

Transportation to get the flu shot

Flu vaccinations are both safe and effective in lowering the risk of catching the flu, and they are widely available in pharmacies, medical offices, walk-in clinics and hospitals. Seniors should get the flu shot at the outset of flu season to be protected for as long as possible. Because your loved one may be afflicted with both COVID-19 and the flu, flu immunizations may be even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, contracting the flu may increase your loved one's susceptibility to COVID-19 infection.

Since our in-home care services include transportation assistance, our caregivers can help your loved one travel to the nearest clinic or doctor's office to obtain a flu shot. We can also send them reminders once they've made an appointment, and we can keep an eye on them for any adverse side effects.

Help with running errands and providing companionship

During flu season, older adults may benefit from remaining at home as much as possible to avoid coming into touch with sick people. The flu can be transmitted for a day before symptoms appear and can continue for up to seven days. The infectious period is significantly longer for those who have compromised immune systems.

At Visiting Angels Denver, our caregivers can help your loved one prevent infection by going out and running any errands they need to run. Furthermore, with our companion care services, we can meet your loved one's needs for companionship when they’re spending the day at home.

You can rely on Visiting Angels Denver to keep your loved one safe since we adhere to CDC guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic (wearing facemasks and other PPE when working with clients and using hand sanitizer on a regular basis).

The flu may be harmful for seniors, but with proper preparation and attentive in-home care services from Visiting Angels Denver, your loved one can stay safe during flu season.

If you’d like more information on how in-home care from Visiting Angels Denver can help your loved one, call our Wheat Ridge, CO office at 303-990-8148 to schedule a free in-home consultation.