Four Practices to Prevent COVID-19

While most of the world is breathing easier, feeling comfortable about going out, and putting away worries about developing COVID-19, the virus is still out there and is still a health threat to your aging loved one. Many sources say that as a world, we will perhaps always be living with COVID-19 just like we do other infectious diseases and the key is adapting to it so that despite its ability to continue to infect people, we can still do the things we love. Home care assistance providers can be on top of safety protocols to keep your loved one healthy.

Like many infectious diseases, they provide the largest threat to the elderly community and those with weakened immune systems due to age, health, or other complications.

In order to help keep your loved ones safe and healthy, you should encourage them to follow these four key tips for avoiding infection.

Home Care Assistance Hunterdon NJ - Four Practices to Prevent COVID-19

Home Care Assistance Hunterdon NJ – Four Practices to Prevent COVID-19

Get vaccinated and boosted. Staying on top of vaccines is key for most people. Help your loved one know when booster shots become available so that she can stay up-to-date on preventing the latest or strongest strains that are prevalent. It’s not only important for your loved one to keep up to date on her vaccinations, but also for anyone who spends significant time with her such as you, your family, and her home care team. Check your home care assistance team’s policies for vaccinations and ask any home care assistance provider who comes into the home to be fully vaccinated.

Avoid large, indoor crowds. This may mean that some activities your loved one used to enjoy need to be given serious consideration about attending again, especially if she has other health conditions that could make a COVID-19 infection especially dangerous. Crowded movie theaters, bus tours, and other indoor events should be discussed and reviewed before attending. If your loved one is traveling, review the COVID-19 community levels to determine how safe they are to visit.

Wear a good mask. When the pandemic first started, there was a shortage of masks, so lots of creative individuals made many cute, funny, and unique masks. While those were some help, you can now purchase high-quality masks that may not be as “fashionable,” but will provide your loved one safety when she needs to travel to areas where others will be. For the best protection, she should wear a mask such as an N95 mask that fits securely around her nose and mouth. If she needs care from a home care assistance provider who has recently been exposed, her provider should wear the mask while in the home as well.

Practice thorough hand washing. Washing her hands for at least 20 seconds each time she touches a public surface, enjoys a meal, and uses the bathroom will keep COVID-19 and many other illnesses like the flu and cold away.

Helping your loved one stay on top of these four practices will help keep her safe and healthy and able to enjoy life.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Home Care Assistance Services in Hunterdon NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris, and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.




Companion Care at Home Can Help Ease a Senior’s Anxiety Due to Pandemic

There are many senior citizens who are dealing with anxiety due to the COVID pandemic. Many people thought things would be calmed down by this point. However, there are still so many guidelines and so many people getting sick. With this being said, if your elderly loved one is anxious because of COVID, there are some ways that you and their companion care at home providers can help to ease their mind and bring more calmness to their life.

Self-Care Time

Companion Care at Home Hunterdon NJ - Companion Care at Home Can Help Ease a Senior's Anxiety Due to Pandemic

Companion Care at Home Hunterdon NJ – Companion Care at Home Can Help Ease a Senior’s Anxiety Due to Pandemic

There are many senior citizens who worry about their loved ones and friends, more now than ever before due to the pandemic. If your elderly loved one is constantly worried about others in their life and that is bringing about anxiety, it would be a good idea for them to take some self-care time. Some of the things they can do during these times include:

  • Listen to or read positive affirmations
  • Take a nap or a hot bath
  • Read a book
  • Watch a funny movie

As long as they are focusing on things they enjoy and doing something for themselves, it should help to lower their anxiety levels. If needed, you or a companion care at home provider can remind your elderly loved one to take this time out for themselves.

Deep Breathing

One of the problems with being anxious is that people often forget to breathe. When you are hanging out with your elderly loved one, you may notice they are holding their breath or breathing rather fast. It could be caused by their anxiety. If this is happening, it is important for your elderly loved one to do some deep breathing techniques. There are many videos online and even guided meditations that can help them to get their breathing under control.

Doing a Body Scan

Another way for your elderly loved one to lower their anxiety is to do a body scan. You or a companion care at home provider can ask your elderly loved one where they are feeling tense or discomfort. Once they find these areas, it might be helpful to do a relaxation technique, such as yoga, to relieve the discomfort. Oftentimes, people hold their anxiety in and it can cause physical pain in the body. Hopefully, by regularly doing the body scan, your elderly loved one can recognize where their anxiety is being held and work on releasing it.

Using These Tips with Companion Care at Home Aides

The COVID-19 pandemic might be causing anxiety for your elderly loved one. If so, hopefully, the tips above can help them to relieve at least some of their worries. These tips could also help to prevent future anxiety. If needed, you and companion care at home providers can help your elderly loved one remember to do these techniques.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/stress-coping/cope-with-stress/index.html

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Companion Care at Home Services in Hunterdon NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.




Things to Remember When It Comes to Home Quarantine Due to COVID-19

Is your elderly loved one quarantined at home due to the coronavirus? If so, it is important to be aware of what should be done. There are some guidelines or recommendations that have been released by certain professionals in regard to COVID-19 home quarantine. If you make sure that your elderly loved one follows these guidelines and recommendations, things will be much safer for everyone involved.

Home Care Somerset County NJ - Things to Remember When It Comes to Home Quarantine Due to COVID-19

Home Care Somerset County NJ – Things to Remember When It Comes to Home Quarantine Due to COVID-19

Follow Doctor Guidelines on When to End Quarantine

If your elderly loved one is being quarantined at home due to the coronavirus, it is important that they follow a doctor’s guidelines on when they can end their quarantine. This might be their primary care provider or a doctor from the hospital. Leaving home quarantine before it is recommended could further amplify your elderly loved one’s symptoms and put other people at risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Quarantine is Important to Keep People Safe

It is important to remember that having your elderly loved one participate in the home quarantine is necessary. If they have the coronavirus or have been exposed to the coronavirus, they need to stay at home to keep others safe. This virus can spread very easily, so those who have the virus or have been exposed to it should stay home until their doctor says it is safe for them to go into public or be around people again.

Create a Home Quarantine Plan

If your elderly loved one has to stay in a home quarantine because of the coronavirus, it is helpful to have a plan in place. Who will take care of them if they are sick? Do they need caregivers to help care for them? What are they going to do at home to help themselves recover? Do they have enough food, water, and other supplies? Think about all of this and figure out how they will get these things if they are stuck at home.

Daily Routines

If at all possible, your elderly loved one should keep up with daily routines. Yes, if they are sick, they should take time to rest. However, if they are only home because of being exposed to the coronavirus, they should keep up with their daily routine. This can help them to get through the home quarantine with much more ease.

These are some of the things to remember when it comes to home quarantine due to COVID-19. If your elderly loved one is in a home quarantine because they have the coronavirus or have been exposed to it, these are the tips that can help to make the quarantine easier.

Sources:  https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/quarantine-at-home-coping-tips
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/quarantine-at-home-coping-tips?viewAsPdf=true

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Home Care Services in Somerset County County NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.




“Staying Connected”

Home Care Services Bernardsville NJ - “Staying Connected”

Home Care Services Bernardsville NJ – “Staying Connected”

We all miss connecting with others in person, but at Generations, we are finding a way to remain connected. Remember how excited you used to get when you received a letter in the mail? We are bringing back that feeling to our seniors, by sending out hand-written cards to let them know we are thinking of them. There is a sweetness in knowing that a simple act of kindness can bring much-needed joy.

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

   (Dalai Lama)

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Home Care Services in Bernardsville NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.