It has been observed in many countries that elderly people have a more significant fatality rate as compared to other age groups. Currently, the United States’ older adult population is at 16.8%, where three-quarters of this percentage is living alone. In contrast, the remaining quarter is dependent and needs help with personal care, such as bathing, dressing, or eating. These older adults depend on caregivers or family members for their sustenance.
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As this ongoing crisis can be scary for everyone we need to stay strong and healthy for our family, especially for our grandparents who need care and protection.
Here is a list of things that we can do for our elders since they are the most vulnerable in this global pandemic.
Better to Stay at Home
Simply staying at home is one of the best strategies in keeping our grandparents safe. Unsurprisingly, this method is on top of the list as the same approach is being used for the entire population in most countries hit by the disease. Stay away from places where people commonly congregate, including, whenever possible, medical institutions.
Get Wearable Protection
Elders may develop acute signs and symptoms that are irrelevant to COVID-19 disease. This is where caregivers or family members are needed the most in order for them to avoid visiting healthcare institutions to manage those problems.
Medical experts strongly suggest that sick people and caregivers wear a face mask to minimize the spread of pathogens. This type of wearable protective gear is essential nowadays, and due to coronavirus panic, the supplies of these are already decreasing worldwide. Fortunately, there are reliable manufacturers, like Linkhub PPE manufacturer, that can provide all types of protective gear for safety.
Social Distancing
Even if you are only staying indoors, family caregivers are advised to redouble their efforts at social distancing. This is a precautionary measure for your safety and for the safety of the ones you are caring for.
Proper Hygiene
Another way of keeping our grandparents safe from any possible diseases is to help them observe proper grooming. Bathing every day is not necessary for elders since it will only make their skin drier. However, regular hand washing is essential, especially before and after eating. You can also use hand sanitizer for hand disinfecting, plus you can even customize hand sanitizer with better moisturizer for added care.
Arrange for Deliveries
You may arrange to get a mail-order delivery of medications and groceries. This set-up is better than driving to stores because:
- There is a chance you can get coronavirus pathogen when you go to public places
- There are cases where you cannot just live alone with your grandparents, particularly if they are handicapped in any way
In addition, it would be best to plan and try multiple store options, since several grocery delivery slots are hard to come by nowadays. Moreover, setting up automatic bill payments for gas, electric, and telephone services will lighten your load if you are handling the finances.
Gather Simple Medical Data
To lessen the need for visits to clinics or hospitals, you should consider utilizing basic medical tools, such as digital thermometer, pulse oximeter, home blood pressure cuff, and digital step-on scale.
In learning how to access these devices, you will be able to gather valuable information that can be forwarded to your elder’s primary care physician or nurse. They, in turn, can prescribe treatment or offer medical advice over the phone or through social media applications. This simple data can enhance telemedicine visits, although most older people do not have access to video technology.
A telemedicine visit or telemedicine appointment is just like a regular doctor’s appointment. Your grandparents will have to sit in front of a camera, where they can see themselves and their healthcare provider on the screen once the session begins. This system is also called virtual visits, and they are relevant nowadays since everyone is advised to stay indoors.
Conclusion
In this time of crisis, anyone is susceptible to get the COVID-19 disease. More than that, we have to give extra care to our elders since they have a higher tendency to get the novel coronavirus, and worse, even develop secondary illnesses that may lead to death. Helping them to their daily needs, such as eating, grooming, taking medications, checking vital stats, and merely being with them in this nerve-wrecking situation, will mean a lot to them.
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