How At-Home Senior Care from Visiting Angels Can Help Seniors in Eldersburg, MD and Surrounding Areas Stay Healthy During Flu Season

With at-home senior care from Visiting Angels, elderly adults in Eldersburg, Westminster, Baltimore, Columbia, Ellicott City, Randallstown and surrounding areas in Maryland can get the assistance and support they need 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 populations, such as seniors over 65.

Protecting the elderly from the flu is especially critical this season, since COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to strain the healthcare system. Seniors and their families should be made aware of the risks and preventative steps that must be followed.

If you are concerned about a senior loved one's health and well-being during flu season, Visiting Angels Eldersburg 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 provide at-home senior care services 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 Can Visiting Angels Eldersburg Help My Loved One?

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

Transportation to get the flu vaccine

The flu vaccination is both safe and effective in reducing the risk of illness, and it is widely available in pharmacies, medical offices, walk-in clinics and hospitals. Seniors should get a flu shot as soon as the season begins to stay protected for as long as possible. Because your loved one could get both COVID-19 and the flu, flu shots may be especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, getting the flu may increase your loved one's vulnerability to COVID-19 infection.

Our caregivers can help your loved one in travelling to the nearest clinic or doctor's office to get the flu shot because our at-home senior care services include transportation assistance. 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.

Assist with taking care of personal hygiene

Older adults should maintain proper personal hygiene to avoid catching or transmitting the flu. Our caregivers at Visiting Angels Eldersburg can assist your loved one in taking care of themselves while treating them with the respect and dignity they deserve. As part of our at-home senior care services, we assist seniors 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 in keeping their home clean. According to the Mayo Clinic, the flu virus may stay on stainless steel, plastic and other hard surfaces for several hours or even days. As a solution, we provide light housekeeping assistance as part of our at-home senior care services. Cleaning countertops and high-touch locations such as doorknobs and light switches can help keep your loved one's home clean and flu-free. We can also change the sheets, handle the laundry and clean the dishes.

Prepare healthy meals

Because seniors are more susceptible to catching 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 some seniors, particularly those with mobility and cognitive issues. Fortunately, our caregivers can prepare nutritious meals and snacks for your loved one that they will like while also providing the vitamins and minerals they need to keep their immune system strong and healthy.

Assist with errands and provide companionship

Seniors may benefit from remaining at home as much as possible during flu season to avoid contact with infectious persons. The flu virus can spread up to a day before symptoms appear and can continue for up to seven days. Those with weakened immune systems can be infectious for much longer periods of time.

Our home care providers can assist your loved one avoid coming into contact 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 Eldersburg to keep your loved one safe since we follow CDC guidelines (wearing facemasks and other PPE while interacting with clients and using hand sanitizer on a daily basis) when caring for seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The flu is a serious issue for seniors, but with proper planning and at-home senior care services from Visiting Angels Eldersburg, your loved one can avoid becoming ill during flu season.

To learn how our at-home senior care services can help your loved one during flu season, call Visiting Angels Eldersburg at 410-549-8002 to schedule a free in-home consultation.