The new coronavirus impacts people of all ages, but severe infection and death are more common in individuals over the age of 60. Seniors are at higher risk for developing severe disease due to their age and preexisting conditions. Below are some tips your family can use to help your elderly parent prevent coronavirus and boost his or her mental and physical health.
Limit Visitors
Living at home instead of in an assisted living facility, where other seniors reside and medical staff members constantly come and go, is a good idea for seniors because they can control who visits them. Although most nursing homes have stopped visits from residents’ family members and friends, there are still a lot of people inside these facilities, including staff and vendors. When your loved one resides at home, it’s easier to limit visitors and practice social distancing. Hiring an in-home caregiver allows your loved one to stay at home and receive necessary care while being exposed to fewer people.
One of the most challenging tasks of helping an elderly relative age in place safely and comfortably is researching agencies that provide senior care. Turn to Home Care Assistance for reliable, high-quality in-home care for aging adults. We offer 24-hour live-in care for seniors who require extensive assistance, and we also offer respite care for family caregivers who need a break from their caregiving duties.
Develop Healthy Eating Habits
There’s currently no vaccine for the new coronavirus, but there are healthy habits seniors can adopt to reduce their risk of COVID-19. For example, your parent can consume foods that contain vitamins B, C, D, and E as well as zinc, protein, antioxidants, and other essential nutrients that strengthen the immune system and fight against bacteria and viruses. Stock up on groceries for your parent, since he or she needs to stay inside. You can take advantage of delivery options from many grocery stores, preventing your loved one from going out in public during the pandemic. However, you or another caregiver should pick up the items or ask for non-contact deliveries.
A home caregiver can run errands, including shopping for groceries and picking up prescriptions, so your loved one doesn’t have to leave home. If your aging loved one needs help managing everyday tasks or encouragement to adopt healthier lifestyle choices, turn to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of elder care. Oakville Home Care Assistance provides professional in-home caregivers around the clock to help seniors live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
Encourage Indoor Exercise
Physical activity can boost the immune system and help it fight against dangerous pathogens such as the new coronavirus. However, your parent should avoid working out at the gym or local community center. Instead, he or she can exercise indoors. If the weather is nice, encourage your loved one to go outside, as long as other individuals remain at a safe distance. Yoga is one of the best exercises for older adults because it can boost their respiratory health and lower the risk of issues like pneumonia, which is common in individuals diagnosed with COVID-19.
Avoid Traveling
Visiting with family and friends should be off-limits. Because of limited testing, your loved one doesn’t know who’s infected. Merely being in the same room with someone who’s carrying the virus and coughs or sneezes could increase the odds of contracting the virus. Planned vacations, especially cruises, should be canceled until further notice. Limiting travel could reduce your loved one’s risk of coming into contact with people who have the virus but don’t show any symptoms. To prevent your loved one from becoming depressed by all the cancellations and limited interactions, encourage him or her to video chat with family and friends. Although your parent cannot travel to their homes or enjoy a vacation during the pandemic, he or she can continue to connect with the people he or she loves.
Aging in place can present a few unique challenges for older adults. Some only require part-time assistance with exercise or meal preparation, while others are living with serious illnesses and benefit more significantly from receiving live-in care. Oakville, ON, Home Care Assistance are leaders in the elderly in-home care industry for good reason. We tailor our care plans based on each senior’s individual needs, our caregivers continue to receive updated training in senior care as new developments arise, and we also offer comprehensive care for seniors with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s. Call Home Care Assistance today at (905) 337-1200 to learn about our high-quality in-home care services.
With information surrounding coronavirus/COVID-19 changing by the hour, it’s challenging to stay updated on the most recent best practices for keeping seniors safe at home. At Home Care Assistance, we understand how critical it is for seniors and their caregivers to protect against coronavirus as much as possible. All our team members have received detailed communication on infection control protocols, including effective cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and hands. Our caregivers can pick up medications, groceries, and anything else a senior needs, minimizing their interaction with large groups of people. For more information on how Home Care Assistance helps protect clients, click here: https://www.homecareassistanceoakville.ca/covid-19-home-care/.