Preparing Your Elder Care Plan for Common Fall Health Ailments

Family Caregivers in Youngsville, NC

While much of your elder care efforts for your aging loved one will be about recognizing needs and making changes to address those needs in a useful and effective way, planning ahead and preparing for for potential issues in the future will give you greater confidence in your ability to manage your elderly parents’ needs and give them the highest quality of life possible. One of the times when this type of preparation is especially important is during the change of seasons.

Changing seasons brings about a variety of shifts in weather, germs, plants, other environmental factors, and behaviors that can have a dramatic impact on your health. Understanding the most common of these health impacts and preparing for them ahead of time can help you, your aging loved ones, and their referred caregiver weather the changes and get through the season with better health and comfort.

Some of the most common health ailments related to autumn and what you can do to prepare for and combat these ailments include:

• Common cold. One of the most prevalent of health ailments that flourishes in the fall is the common cold. This illness can leave you and your aging parents feeling worn down with fatigue, headaches, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, and sore throat. Though there is no actual cure for the common cold, you can help prevent it by practicing aggressive germ control, including washing hands, disinfecting surfaces, and keeping the body well-nourished with a balanced diet and vitamin C. If a cold does arise, ease the uncomfortable symptoms with plenty of fluids, rest, and over-the-counter pain medications.
• Sore throat. Sore throats can be related to the cold and flu, but it can also be your body’s reaction to environmental factors such as dry air, moving from cold outdoor temperatures to warm indoor temperatures, or exposure to allergens. A sore throat can be extremely uncomfortable and make it difficult to communicate. Help prevent sore throats with germ control and protecting the delicate tissues from sudden temperature changes with simple practices such as covering your mouth and nose with a scarf when moving from warm indoor temperatures to cold outdoor temperatures. If a sore throat does arise, soothe it with warm beverages, particularly with lemon and honey, analgesic hard candies, and throat sprays. For prompt relief from both the pain and the uncomfortable mucus feeling that often accompanies a sore throat, gargle with warm salt water.
• Stomach bug. Often mistakenly referred to as the “stomach flu”, the common cool-weather illness that involves vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches is not actually caused by influenza. Instead, it is usually caused by another virus called norovirus. Practice stringent germ control including washing hands, disinfecting surfaces, not sharing utensils or cups, and not allowing your aging loved ones to come in contact with anyone who may have been ill in order to help prevent this virus. If it does occur, help your parents combat severe health consequences by giving them plenty of fluids, encouraging them to rest, and supplementing their nutrition with smoothies to help them recover.

The articles posted on this blog are provided for general information and discussion purposes only. These articles are not intended to suggest anything with respect to the operations or services of this office.