Avoiding exposure to the coronavirus is an important first step in keeping your senior from becoming sick with Covid-19. Here’s what your senior needs to do.
Keep up with Hand Washing
Hand washing is one of the best tools in your senior’s arsenal against all sorts of illnesses, Covid-19 included. The reason that hand washing is so effective is that it removes germs before they can get into your senior’s body. The skin is able to fend off germs, but areas like the nose, mouth, and eyes are permeable and let germs in. Washing her hands often helps to remove germs that could cause your senior to get sick.
Avoid Gatherings of People
Being around a lot of people is a bad idea right now. The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 is highly contagious and spreads very easily from one person to another. If your senior is in a room with a lot of other people and even one person has the virus, that person can easily infect everyone else in the room. Avoiding those larger gatherings reduces the amount of people your senior is around.
Maintain Social Distance
Social distancing is the next step in avoiding the coronavirus. When your senior is too close to someone else, that’s going to put her in closer proximity to their germs, too. The CDC is also recommending that people wear cloth masks when they go out in public. This recommendation combined with social distancing can help to reduce the number of germs your senior is exposed to if she does need to go somewhere.
Self-quarantine for the Time Being
It’s a really good idea for your elderly family member to self-quarantine right now. In many states, that decision may have already been taken off her hands because of “stay at home” orders. By choosing to stay at home, though, your elderly family member reduces the likelihood that she’ll encounter someone that is sick.
Talk to Her Doctor about What Else She Needs to Know
It’s vital to talk to your senior’s doctor and find out what else your senior needs to know. Her doctor can talk to her about symptoms and about what she personally needs to focus on right now. Your senior should also ask what she should do if she does start to feel sick herself. That helps her to formulate a plan of action.
Your senior might be concerned about some very practical matters if she does decide to self-quarantine. The good news is that elder care providers can help her with bringing items to her that she needs or helping her with tasks that she needs help with on a daily basis.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING CAREGIVERS IN WAKE FOREST, NC, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT SENIORS HELPING SENIORS TODAY. CALL (919) 761-5346.