Caring for Aging Parents

My last post covered some general vaccination information for seniors and caregivers.  Today, I’m going to provide you with some eldercare resources for flu season.  The best advice during this flu season is to talk to your health care provider about the seasonal flu vaccination and the “novel” H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccination.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “One thing that appears to be different from seasonal influenza is that adults older than 64 years do not yet appear to be at increased risk of novel H1N1-related complications thus far.”  To keep up with the latest information, visit the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/).

Remember to take everyday flu-prevention and well-being precautions such as:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water   You can also use alcohol based hand cleaners
• Throw away your tissue after use
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
• Avoid close contact with people who have flu type symptoms if at all possible
• Listen for your local public health advice especially regarding closing and crowds
• When you are sick (or have flu symptoms), stay at home and have the supplies in need in your home for a week or so. 

If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.  If you have additional questions, please speak with your health care provider.  Your physician can also advise you on prevention measures, such as the flu vaccination.

For seniors and caregivers: if you would like to locate a flu center by zip code, visit http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.aspx?c=aqKGLXOAIlH&b=1015035.