During the ongoing pandemic it is essential to be extra careful while taking care of elders at home. Here are some tips that might help.
Always wash your hands before attending elders at home
HIGHLIGHTS
- Serve nutritious foods to elders for strong immunity
- Elders should move around the house sometimes to keep joints healthy
- Keep a check on pre-existing conditions in elders
During the ongoing pandemic it is crucial to stay both physically and mentally healthy. It is also important to take extra care of elders during these times. Apart of being more vulnerable to the infection, it is essential to control the pre-existing health conditions in older age-groups. Keeping a constant check on the conditions might help. Also better communication can help them stay mentally fit. If you're caring for an older loved one, you should know that precautions can be taken at home.
Follow these tips to take care of elders at home
1. Don't isolate socially - Physical distancing is important but that doesn't mean that one should cut off socially. Stay connected with your loved ones to stay mentally fit and happy with the help of calls, video calls and other means.
2. Follow basic hygiene - Wash your hands frequently and keep your hands away from the face. Make sure your hands are clean before meeting an elders at home or serving them food. Keep sanitizing surfaces in the home which are often touched like door handles, taps etc.
Wash your hands frequently to avoid spread of infectious particles
Photo Credit: iStock
3. Stay involved in activities - Keep yourself busy with activities like playing games, watching movies, cooking or daily chores which do not require a lot of strength. Adults should also participate in some simple activities that can keep them moving.
4. Stay fit - Make sure to stretch, do light yoga or meditate once in the day to keep the mind and the body healthy.
5. Call for help if needed - If you or your loved one have symptoms of Covid 19, it's best to call ahead for help. Get a Covid test done and start the treatment at home as early as possible. Stay in touch with your doctor to help elderly on time.
Also read: Tips For Taking Care Of The Elderly In Winter Season
Management of pre-existing conditions-
Services in nursing, remote monitoring of patients, medical equipment, post-operative care and other diagnostic, therapeutic or pathological services ensure convenience and prevent the need to step out of home and expose oneself to the risk of COVID-19 infection. Some of the tests that can be done at home assist in helping elders during the pandemic. Regular screenings of blood pressure, blood sugar levels, lipid profile and other required as per the condition, need to be done regularly.
Also read: Follow These Tips To Take Care Of Elderly During Winter Season
Any symptom related to covid needs to be reported immediately to the doctor. Also, avoid going to elders if you have symptoms of covid-19.
(Dr. Shabnam Mir is a Consultant Physician and Head of Clinical Services at Antara, a Max Group company specializing in senior care)
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