As someone who has an ailing elderly loved one who still lives at home, your reliance on home care services is probably pretty great if you are not taking care of the person's needs on your own. During such a unique time as a national pandemic, it can naturally bring about a lot of new concerns for a loved one.
In March of 2020, the respiratory virus Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and, unfortunately, this illness is the biggest risk for the elderly. This kind of situation can naturally make you question if home care is safe during such an event. Here are a few things to know.
Home care providers are well-trained about new threats to elderly individuals.
When there is a health threat that is especially a risk for seniors, the companies that offer assisted living services take great care to train their employees about the risks. You can rest assured that the person visiting your loved one for home care will be properly educated about the situation and updated as any new developments come up.
Extra precautions will be taken to protect your loved one from exposure.
Since your loved one stays at home most of the time, it helps to deter their interaction with the public and helps to negate the possibility of them getting sick during a pandemic. However, you may have concerns that a home care professional is interacting with the public every day. Even though the professional is likely out and about far more than your elderly loved one, they will be taking extraordinary precautions to prevent the spread of an illness. This may include:
- Sanitizing contact surfaces in their vehicles between visits
- Wearing a mask and gloves during interaction with your loved one
- Taking extra precautions about interacting with other patients who are sick
It is important to talk openly with the care provider about your concerns.
During such a worrisome event as a pandemic, it is always a good idea to discuss your concerns with the home care provider. They can explain to you what measures they are taking specifically to keep your loved one as safe as possible. In addition, they may be able to offer sound advice at a time when it is most important. Additionally, since your loved one may be more isolated than usual, it is well worth discussing a few extra visits from the home care service provider, especially if you are unable to visit yourself due to your own illness.
To learn more about home care, contact services like Care Choice Home Care.
