Senior Care in Zionville, IN – Get Your Flu Shot to Protect Your Senior Loved One

Providing senior care for an elderly individual is a great responsibility. The senior may have various health issues that they’re dealing with, a loss of muscle mass and strength, and maybe even a loss of balance.

It is important, as a senior care service provider, to make sure that you not only provide the optimal level of care for them, but also to make sure that you don’t put them at any risk. An elderly individual’s immune system will also more likely be weaker than it was in their younger years. As a result, they may be more susceptible to the common cold, the flu, and other illnesses.

Take the time to get the flu vaccine if you provide any type a senior care. There are many people who are opposed to getting the flu vaccine because of common misconceptions about it. The most common misconception people have with regard to it is that they are being injected with the live flu virus.

 The truth is the flu vaccine injected into the body is a dead virus. It is not possible to get sick from this virus. The nasal type of vaccine is a live virus, so there is a big difference between what type of vaccine you actually get. For the most part, pharmacies across the country provide the dead form of the flu virus through an injection into the skin.

A person may have a reaction to the virus being injected into them, but they do not have the flu itself. Protecting yourself against the flu is one of the best ways to protect the elderly patient in your care.

Any time you feel as though you are not 100%, have a runny nose, achiness, and maybe even a slight fever, it is important to contact the elderly patient to let him or her know that you are not feeling well. If you are a family member, try to find another family member who can take your place to provide the senior care service your loved one requires. If you’re in independent caregiver, encourage the patient to get somebody else for a period of time. If you work for an agency, your agency will likely be able to fill in for you.

Winter is when the flu and colds are far more common because we keep windows and doors closed and spend more time inside. As a result, it is even more important for the senior care provider to pay attention to those small signs that a cold could be coming on.

The caregivers at Great Care are available to talk with you and your family about all of your home care needs. Great Care is an elder care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in Zionsville, IN and the surrounding areas. Call (317) 595-9933 for more information.