There are many reasons why your aging loved one may end up in the emergency room. The care they receive here can be instrumental to managing health issues, addressing illnesses and injuries promptly, and ensuring they are healthy, but as a family caregiver it is important to recognize that there may be risks to these visits as well. Being in the emergency room can expose aging loved ones to many germs, putting them at risk for illness and infection. It is important to take the proper steps to help your parent avoid these illnesses and infections and stay healthy during and after their emergency room visit.
Use these tips to help you are senior, and you, stay healthy during an emergency room visit:
- If your aging parent must wait in the waiting room prior to being seen, have them wear a medical mask. This is particularly important if they are dealing with a health issue that compromises their immune system
- Avoid sitting near others in the waiting room. If the waiting room is crowded, consider asking for a wheelchair for your senior and set as far away from others as you can
- Bring along disinfecting wipes to clean off surfaces your senior may come into contact with, such as the chair they sit in in the waiting room, counters, bathroom door handles, and more
- Bring along waterless hand sanitizer to disinfect their hands throughout the visit
- Make sure all members of the medical team wash or disinfect their hands immediately upon entering the room, and before coming into any contact with your senior
- Avoid placing personal articles such as bags, coats, or clothing items on the floor. Instead, put them on a chair. If this isn’t possible, put objects least likely to pick up germs and the easiest to clean, down, and other items on top
An elderly care provider can be a tremendous resource for your parent to help them stay healthy as they age in place. There are many aspects to staying healthy, and an elderly home care services provider can step into your senior’s routine to help them with many of them. Meal preparation, safe and reliable transportation, assistance with personal care needs and activities of daily living, companionship, hygiene, and more can all help your parent to manage their health in the way that’s right for them. This can be particularly beneficial after your loved one has visited the emergency room or during times of year when illness and infection are at their worst.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Big Timber, MT, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare today at 406-839-2390.
