How to Protect Older People In Your Home From Covid-19?

Though Covid-19 can be fatal for anyone, older people are the most vulnerable to falling sick after catching the virus. Due to their waning immunity, they are more likely to develop severe Covid-19 symptoms.

Thus, their caretakers are more concerned about the older one’s well-being than their own. Even if you restrict them from going outside, you can pass on the virus to them.

Turns out, protecting your parents and grandparents is not as simple as it sounds to be. So what are the precautions you can take to ensure their protection?

This article will shed some light on this pressing issue. 

7 Steps to Protect Older People In Your Home From Covid-19

1. Don’t Let Them Wander Outside

Older people who stay at home 24/7 crave fresh air. And this urge leads them to frequent excursions, sometimes on the pretext of doing groceries while sometimes just for a short walk after dinner.

Though it can be frustrating for them to stay at home all the time, you must not let them wander outside – particularly in crowded places. And it starts with you; you must limit your weekend activities to stay at home with them and offer the company.

2. Wear a Mask

You can’t insist elderlies stay at home and wear a mask 24/7, but it’s you who should follow the SOPs. Since you go out to work, attend events and parties, you could be the carrier.

So it’s important that you wear a mask wherever you go. And when you are sitting alongside the vulnerable adults, cover your face with a mask. This way, if you are asymptomatic, you won’t unconsciously infect adults in your family.

3.Clean the House Regularly

House cleaning is a chore we all dread, but in the current times it’s vital for your and your loved one’s safety. The virus particles can survive on different surfaces for up to a couple of hours, thus anyone who touches the infected surface can catch the virus.

Get a disinfectant liquid or any detergent, soak a cloth in it, and wipe all the accessible surfaces with it. It could be your kitchen’s top, dining table, side tables, etc.

In case someone in your household tests positive for the virus, immediately perform a disinfection drive. Either call a disinfection service or do it on your own – don’t forget to use hand gloves and cover your face with a mask.

4. Don’t Host Lunch/Dinners

Do you frequently invite friends and relatives to come over for lunch or dinner? If you do, leave this practice for a while until things are back to normal. You don’t know if they adhere to SOPs or not, or if they have got their vaccine jabs or not.

So asking them to come over when you have elderly in your home, who may have underlying health conditions too, isn’t a wise thing to do. If you haven’t seen them for long or they are resolute to meet you, make sure all of them are vaccinated.

5. Get Them Vaccinated

 WHO itself and several leading healthcare providers around the world have debunked the myths associated with vaccines. All vaccines are safe and are the only way out of the Covid-19. Particularly for older people, vaccines work as a defensive weapon against the virus.

Even if someone has diabetes, heart disease, or a similar condition, they can still get their vaccination dose. For more clarity, you can discuss this option with their doctor if vaccines are safe for the aged people in your family. 

6. Postpone Unnecessary Doctor Visits

Older adults in your care often require weekly doctor visitors. But not all of them are unnecessary, and you can delay them for a while. And if it’s really necessary for someone with a chronic illness, you can arrange a video call between them. They can share their condition and get a prescription on the call.

Physical visits are no longer safe. Clinics are likely to be crowded( especially due to Covid-19) so taking them there is not a safe option at all.

7. Keep Them Hydrated & Well Fed

As they grow old, they become oblivious to their body needs. Adult people often drink and eat less than they ought to. And this further weakens their immune system.

It’s your responsibility to make sure they are taking three meals a day at least, and a huge proportion of their diet consists of vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits. Take care of their liquid intake, encourage them to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.

Just in case they catch a virus, fall sick, they will depend on their immunity to come out of it. So the healthier they are, the faster they will recover.

Final Words

Unfortunately, anyone can catch the virus and turn into a carrier for the whole family. You can never be 100% sure of an adult’s safety. So if they show any symptoms, they should get a test for coronavirus.

The sooner you learn that they are positive, the earlier the treatment will begin. So they won’t infect others nor their own condition deteriorates.