Older adults have a significantly higher risk of complications from infectious diseases, such as Covid-19, including death.
As adult children or grandchildren, we want to do our best to protect and care for our elderly loved ones. When it comes to infectious diseases, however, their needs are likely to be beyond the scope of a family caregiver. They require the knowledge of a trained home health care provider.
Providing your elderly loved one with the best in-home care
Seniors require additional measures of care and protection when it comes to infectious diseases, such as Covid-19. This is the case even if their symptoms are mild and they have been advised by their doctor to treat at home rather than going to the hospital.
Providing this care presents family caregivers with certain hazards, such as getting infected themselves or passing the infection to someone else in the family, such as a spouse or child. It’s near impossible to practice physical distancing or isolating when you are the primary caregiver!
In circumstances like these, professional home health care is often the best way to go for all involved.
How professional in-home care helps seniors with Covid-19
Our caregivers and nurses are trained to care for those with infectious diseases, as well as additional challenges that can arise if your loved one is also living with other conditions, such as dementia.
As skilled health care professionals, our staff has been trained in identifying and practicing droplet and contact precautions in various situations. They are also equipped with the right personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to protect themselves and others in the household.
Their training and experience also enables them to recognize any signs of decline in the care recipient’s condition, which can be difficult to catch by an untrained eye. Take respiratory symptoms for example, which can be masked or exacerbated by co-occurring conditions, such as COPD.
Our caregivers are also able to help your loved one maintain a clean environment and proper personal hygiene, which is key when it comes to infectious diseases. They can also ensure that your loved one gets the nutrition and medication they need to help fight the infection and reduce the risk of complications.
Other ways our caregivers can help
We’re here for you with caregivers who are able to provide not only RN-supervised home health care, but also other tasks that can help make life easier for seniors when illness strikes.
Some of the other senior care services we provide include:
- Contactless shopping and drop-off for groceries, medications, and supplies
- Chronic disease care for any coexisting conditions, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer, etc.
- Escorting to medical appointments
- Companionship to help combat loneliness and isolation
- Supplementary care in hospitals and other care facilities
Article sources
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
IPAC Recommendations for Use of Personal Protective Equipment for Care of Individuals with Suspect or Confirmed COVID-19. Public Health Ontario. https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/ncov/updated-ipac-measures-covid-19.pdf?la=en