Is It Just a Cold or RSV?

Posted in Home Care in Headland AL, Homecare in Headland AL |

February 17, 2021

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The common cold looks almost identical to a more serious condition called respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, for short.

RSV starts out with typical cold symptoms, especially runny nose, coughing, phlegm, and a low temperature. But, unlike the cold, RSV can progress to pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and even death. Some scientists are saying that RSV is just as dangerous to people over 65 as influenza is.

 

Home Care in Headland AL: Cold or RSV

Home Care in Headland AL: Cold or RSV

 

Yet seniors can be vaccinated against the flu. So far, there is no vaccine for RSV. And the Centers for Disease Control estimate that fourteen thousand people over 65 die because of RSV every year.

 

A Particular Risk For the Elderly

RSV has long been a health problem for the very young. Doctors test babies for RSV if the cold-like symptoms get worse or persist over many days. Of late, scientists and doctors have agreed that RSV represents a danger for people over 65 as well, especially those who have underlying health issues.

Seniors at high risk for RSV complications are those who have:

  • Asthma
  • Heart disease
  • Lung disease
  • A compromised immune system from an auto-immune disorder or use of immunosuppressants.
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

 

Protect Your Senior From Contagion

You can protect your senior from getting RSV through you, by washing your hands before having contact with your senior, cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces in the senior’s home, staying away from sick people, and avoiding contact with your senior if you are sick. If you bring your children to see your parent, be sure that they are not sick, and it’s a good idea to clean and disinfect their toys if your parent is going to handle them while playing with his grandchildren.

Many people recover on their own from RSV. Over-the-counter medications, like decongestants, antihistamines, and NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like aspirin and acetaminophen may alleviate pain and congestion.

 

Treatment

If, however, a senior’s symptoms worsen and he struggles to breathe, he will need to go to the hospital. There, treatments include intravenous fluids to keep the patient hydrated, oxygen and other supportive interventions as needed. Because RSV is a virus, antibiotics are not used in treatment.

A hospital setting is the best way to ensure that RSV does not progress to pneumonia; the hospital is also the best place to treat pneumonia when RSV does progress.

Elder care aides can be very helpful in observing the symptoms of a cold. These elder care professionals will let you know if the symptoms worsen or if your parent’s cold now seems to make it difficult to breathe. If called upon to do so, elder care aides can get your parent to the emergency room for treatment.

In conclusion, RSV is a threat to many elderly people, especially those who already have breathing disorders. However, with early detection and hospitalization, it can be successfully treated. The patient has a good chance of making a full recovery. Make sure someone, like a home care provider, is checking on your parent if he or she is living alone, to make sure he or she is maintaining good health.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in Headland, AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900.

 

Sources

https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/it-bad-cold-or-rsv

https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/high-risk/older-adults.html

https://www.nfid.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/rsv-report.pdf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16038573/

Prescription Medications and the Harm to Elderly Adults

Posted in Homecare in Headland AL, Senior Care in Headland AL |

February 21, 2020

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When it comes to caring for an elderly adult, there are many things you should know about prescription medications, especially those that are used for pain. With elderly patients, there is much harm that can come from prescription medications. While some medications are necessary for their survival, there might be others prescribed that may not be needed.

 

Home Health Care in Headland AL: Senior Prescription Medications

Home Health Care in Headland AL: Senior Prescription Medications

 

Fixing Health Complaints

One of the main reasons why doctors will prescribe medications to the elderly is to fix their health complaints. For instance, if an elderly adult complains of back spasms or back pain, they might be prescribed muscle relaxers or prescription pain medications. While doctors generally only prescribe medications if they absolutely feel it is necessary, if the medications aren’t reviewed regularly, this could become a problem. There may be additional side effects that are going untreated, as well.

Expected Treatment

Most elderly adults that go to the doctor’s office for a health issue expect to get medication. This is often true whether the medication is needed or not. While this might not be a problem for some medications, with others, the list of harm the medication can do to your loved one could go on and on.

Many Doctors

If your elderly loved one isn’t going to the doctor with you or a senior care provider, they may be attending many different doctors. Since elderly adults often forget all the medications they are already on, this can be a big problem. One doctor might prescribe them medications, while another may prescribe them another medication that may interact with the ones they are already on. In addition, your elderly loved one might be seeing specialist doctors that don’t keep in touch with one another. They may be prescribing treatments that don’t fit with one another. It is important that you or senior care providers take your elderly loved one to their appointments.

Increased Side Effects

As previously mentioned, the more medications that your loved one takes, the more side effects they might experience. The increased side effects can include confusion, low blood pressure, excessive bleeding, respiratory issues, falling, and more. It is important that you help to keep your loved one’s medications to a minimum. If you can’t, at least do your best to keep track of their side effects and let the doctors know about the side effects, too.

These are some of the problems that could come with prescription medications in elderly adults. If you are concerned about the medications that your elderly loved one is taking, be sure to talk to their doctor about it right away.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in Headland, AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900.

Sources
Nia.nih.gov
Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Can Exercise Keep Your Parents Behind the Wheel?

Posted in Elderly Care in Headland AL, Homecare in Headland AL |

June 19, 2019

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You see it in the media. An elderly person who probably shouldn’t have been driving gets into a horrible crash. Taking away a parent’s keys is hard, but thoughts of them causing or being in a serious crash should be more alarming.

 

Elderly Care in Headland AL: Senior Exercise For Driving

Elderly Care in Headland AL: Senior Exercise For Driving

 

There are five main reasons for seniors to give up driving. Worsening eyesight is one of those reasons. Being hearing impaired, impaired cognitive skills, joint pain, and muscle weakness are others. Experts think that daily exercise could help with the joint pain and muscle weakness and increase the amount of time your parent is able to drive.

 

What Exercises Are Best?

When you’re behind the wheel, there are certain things you need to be able to do. You have to turn the head, neck, and even upper torso to fully check blind spots. Gripping a steering wheel and holding it steady is critical to stay in a lane or to prevent a crash in inclement weather. Arm, wrist, and finger strength are important for vehicle control. Quickly moving the foot from the brake to the gas pedal is also necessary to brake on time.

In a standard transmission, your parent also needs arm and shoulder strength for shifting and using the parking brake. If your mom or dad has lost flexibility and muscle strength, exercises need to focus on the arms, back, neck, legs, ankles, wrists, and fingers.

The best exercise program is one that mixes exercise routines. Your mom or dad want to get 150 minutes of exercise or more each week. This breaks down to at least 30 minutes per day during the work week. Mixing up the exercises ensures that every muscle gets a workout.

Have your parent take a brisk walk three days a week, work with free weights one day a week, and join a Yoga class one day a week. Other good exercises to mix in for variety are swimming, bicycling, and working out on an elliptical machine.

 

Is It Time to Arrange Transportation Services?

While exercise can help your parent stay limber, depreciating vision may keep your mom or dad from driving. Alzheimer’s disease also affects the ability to safely drive. When your parent simply cannot drive anymore, you’ll need to drive them to appointments and area businesses.

Sometimes, these trips interfere with work schedules and personal responsibilities. If that happens, caregivers can help. Hire caregivers to keep your parents company, drive them to appointments, and run errands with them. Call a home care agency to discuss pricing.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elderly Care in Headland, AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900.

What Causes Pericarditis?

Posted in Caregiver in Headland AL, Homecare in Headland AL, Senior Health |

January 8, 2019

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Pericarditis is a heart condition that occurs when the sac that surrounds the heart, called the pericardium, becomes inflamed. The inflammation may cause chest pain as well as other symptoms. It can be acute, with symptoms coming on suddenly, or chronic, coming on gradually and lasting for a long time. Many times, pericarditis is mild and does not require treatment. However, it can be more severe and require medication or even surgery.

 

Homecare in Headland AL: What Causes Pericarditis?

Homecare in Headland AL: What Causes Pericarditis?

 

About Pericarditis

The pericardium is comprised of a few layers. Pericarditis occurs when the layers become swollen. The swelling of the layers leaves less room for movement between them, so they may rub together. When they do, the person may experience sharp chest pain. The pain can be so severe that the person may think they are having a heart attack.

 

Pericarditis Causes

Many times, doctors aren’t able to find the cause of pericarditis. They may refer to the condition as idiopathic (having an unknown cause) pericarditis. They may also call it viral pericarditis, assuming that it is caused by a virus attacking the body. However, pericarditis can also occur because of other conditions.

Some other possible causes of pericarditis are:

 

Heart Attack or Surgery: The layers of the pericardium can become irritated because of damage to the heart caused by a heart attack. Having heart surgery may also cause the pericardium to become inflamed.

Inflammatory Disorders: Conditions that cause systemic inflammation, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, may also cause inflammation in the pericardium.

Medications: Rarely, certain medications may cause pericarditis as a side effect.

Trauma: If the chest or heart have been injured, such as in a car accident, pericarditis may occur.

Other Conditions: Some other medical conditions can cause pericarditis, too, including cancer, AIDS, kidney failure, and tuberculosis.

 

Pericarditis Symptoms

Not everyone with pericarditis will experience the same symptoms. Some possible symptoms are:

  • Sharp chest pain that occurs in the center of the chest or off to the left side. The pain is often worse when the person breathes in.
  • Trouble breathing while laying down or reclining.
  • Heart palpitations.
  • A low fever.
  • Feeling weak, tired, or ill.
  • Coughing.
  • Swelling in the abdomen or legs.

If your aging relative develops pericarditis, elderly care can help them while they recover. An elderly care provider can remind the older adult to take medications prescribed to relieve symptoms and treat the underlying cause. An elderly care provider can also allow the senior to rest while they manage household chores, such as cleaning, doing dishes, and preparing meals. Elderly care providers can also monitor the older adult for changes in symptoms that may indicate a need for additional medical care.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Homecare in Headland, AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900.

Sources

http://www.heart.org/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/

https://www.webmd.com/