Protecting Your Senior From Germs During Holiday Gatherings
The holiday season is a time for getting together with friends and family and enjoying traditions, special events, and making memories. Unfortunately, it is also a peak time for illness and infection such as colds, flu, sinus infection, strep throat, and more. Elderly adults end up with immune systems that are not as effective as younger people, which means they are not only more vulnerable to developing illness and infection but have a more difficult time fighting them off when they do develop. This doesn’t mean your parent can’t enjoy participating in holiday gatherings. Instead, as a family caregiver, it is your responsibility to help them find ways to avoid germs while still enjoying time with their loved ones during holiday celebrations.
Elder Care in Philadelphia PA: Holiday Germ Safety
Some ways you can protect your senior from germs during holiday gatherings include:
- Ensure your senior continues to eat a healthy, balanced diet throughout the season. This will give their body what it needs to thrive and support a healthy immune system
- Encourage your parent to get plenty of water during the holidays. Dehydration is a serious concern during the winter weather due to diminished thirst signals and the tendency for people to forget to drink enough when they are cold. Getting enough fluids, however, helps to promote thin mucus that is easy to expel, helping the body to remove germs naturally
- Bring along a small bottle of hand sanitizer and encourage your parent to use it regularly when interacting with others
- Discourage your parent from putting their eating utensils down on surfaces and then using them, or eating after touching surfaces
- Limit physical contact while at the gathering. Greet loved ones with a hug or handshake, but avoid touching too many people or being too close to people, especially those who sneeze, cough, or have mentioned being sick recently
When you are a family caregiver, it is easy to become so wrapped up in your responsibilities for your loved one that you forget about yourself. This can lead to serious stress, health and well-being consequences, and even burn out. Bringing home care into your care routine for your aging parent is an effective and meaningful way to ensure your senior gets the care you know they deserve while also giving yourself the time and opportunity you need to manage the other responsibilities in your life and take care of yourself. Not only will this mean your parent is able to stay safe and healthy and enjoy a higher quality of life, but you will also able to preserve your health and well-being and focus more on your parent-child relationship with your loved one.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in Philadelphia PA, please contact the friendly staff at Suma Home Care.
Call today: (484) 206-4544
Ibrahim recently completed a Professional Certificate in Management; He is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administrations (MBA) at a prestigious university in the UK.
With their passion for helping others and a strong background in customer services and clinical care, Ibrahim and his wife started assisting individuals in their homes.
Since started and operating Suma Home Care in 2010 in the basement of their home, Suma Home Care has provided professionals who work endlessly in providing clients with the highest quality of care, while enabling clients to maintain dignity, comfort and safety in their homes.
Suma Home Care, serves four counties in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia. Ibrahim is firmly connected to his local community and is always looking for ways to give back whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Ibrahim enjoys spending time with his wife and children, travelling and enjoys sports.
Mariama Suma-Keita BSN RN
Born in Sierra Leone west Africa, relocated to America in 1999 from a civil war and settled since in the U.S.A as a Naturalized citizen Graduated from National school of nursing with an associate , and completed BSN in Nursing from Immaculata University graduated with Honor roll Alpha Lambda sigma, After escaping the war served as a refugee nurse in Gambia and Guinea to other displaced refugees before coming to America.
In the states started in Homecare then then transition into hospital, worked in Jefferson hospital as a Registered nurse on Tele and general medsurg floor, also worked in Einstein hospital as an oncology transplant nurse , I realized that I enjoy working with patients so much and believe in quality and compassionate care one at a time dealing with an holistic approach in caring for patients and family in a familiar environment called home , I see the impact and progress when they’re home , it makes them feel relax and progress fast with recovering at home. As a nurse and entrepreneur I understand that dedication to meeting people and families needs is a priority, and able to foster relationships with family and patients that is professional and friendly to help them stay and settled home as a desire.
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