As the Coronavirus pandemic continues, we have learned quite a bit about how the illness affects us and who is most at-risk. Unfortunately, older adults are more at risk than younger individuals for a variety of reasons.

But don’t panic!

Below, we’re discussing what makes seniors more susceptible and what they can do to keep themselves safe and healthy.

Why Are Older Adults More at Risk?

Senior citizens are grouped among those who are twice as likely to contract Coronavirus. This is largely because as we age, our immune systems deteriorate. The older you are, the lesser the immune system you have.

Weaker immune systems cannot fight off diseases and infections as well as they once could, and if a senior catches Coronavirus, a weak immune system also hinders recovery and repair. Likewise, the lungs also lose elasticity and resiliency as we age.

Coronavirus is known for making it difficult to breathe, and seniors become especially at risk of suffering from inadequate respiratory function.

How Can Older Adults Protect Themselves?

Limit Visitations

If you and the family go and have dinner with your senior every night, you may need to consider scaling down during this time. Maybe instead you visit your senior once a week and consider using telecommunications to keep in touch the rest of the time.

Video calls and phone calls are the next best thing to keep your senior safe! Limitations also include trips to doctors’ offices if it is not medically necessary that your senior go. If you are unsure whether or not your senior needs to see their doctor, give the doctor a call first.

Follow Guidelines

It’s also wise to simply follow the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidelines. Everyone is encouraged to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly. This involves rubbing the hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds.

Your senior should also have their countertops and doorknobs, frequently touched surfaces, sanitized often. If your senior must head to the doctor or is visiting with their family, the CDC encourages them to wear a mask for their protection.

Have Supplies

While your senior is isolating and quarantining at home, the last thing you want to happen is for them to run out of supplies! This includes basic household items, like soap, disinfectants, and toilet paper. However, your senior also needs to be sure they have enough of any routine medications they are taking and plenty of food!

You can help your senior stay stocked on these items by running errands weekly for them.

For further guidance and information to keep your senior loved one safe during the Coronavirus pandemic, please contact our experts at Home Care Assistance and schedule your consultation.