APRIL 6
C RY D E R
P O I N T
Caregiving and COVID-19: Tips for people
with vulnerable family members
(BPT)–COVID-19 has dramatically shifted daily life
for many people around the world. Nobody is immune,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
and older adults and individuals with chronic health
conditions are at higher risk of getting very sick from the
Coronavirus.
To protect vulnerable individuals, many nursing homes
or assisted living facilities are banning outside visitors
temporarily in hopes of limiting residents’ exposure to
someone who may be infected with the virus. Additionally,
many individuals who need care and are currently
living in their own homes are feeling isolated and anxious
about how to stay healthy and safe.
Caregiving is now taking center stage. With already
more than 40 million unpaid family caregivers helping
loved ones in the U.S., experts expect the virus to increase
the number of people providing short-term or long-term
care to an older or aging loved one.
AARP offers guidance to family caregivers with vulnerable
family members, especially those who might be new
to caregiving because of Coronavirus and its impacts on
older populations.
MAKE IT A TEAM EFFORT
While there may be one primary family caregiver,
identify other family members, friends and neighbors
who can check in or help with shopping and important
errands. It’s important that the person you’re caring for
doesn’t leave their home and stays out of public places.
Create a list with contact information of friends, family
and services in your community that can help you perform
key caregiving tasks. For example, find out if services
such as Meals on Wheels can help deliver meals,
or if there are other local services to help with food or
medication delivery.
INVENTORY ESSENTIAL ITEMS
It’s important to figure out what you have so you can
determine what you need. Inventory how much food,
medication and basic supplies the person you’re caring
for has currently. Then make a list of what you need and
how often you need to replenish it.
Many older individuals often keep minimal extras on
hand because they are on a strict budget and are used
to regular grocery or medication refills. If possible, help
them have a two-week supply of food, water, house cleaning
supplies, and medical equipment.
GET MEDICATIONS IN ORDER
If you don’t already have one, create a list of medications,
medical contacts, and important information like allergies
for easy access. If there are upcoming non-emergency, routine
medical appointments, reschedule those or, if possible,
switch to a virtual visit to receive telemedicine.
Ask your pharmacist or health care provider if you’re
able to have an extra 30-day supply of essential medications
on hand. Don’t forget to stock up on overthe
counter medications like cough suppressants and
fever-reducing drugs like acetaminophen.
STAY CONNECTED
With current social distancing recommendations,
strict isolation will impact many older individuals. To
keep connections strong, set up communication using a
variety of technology such as FaceTime or Skype, smart
speakers, or simply phone and text. Use these to stay connected
with your caregiving team as well as your older or
aging family members.
If your loved one lives in a long-term care facility, see if
they have accommodations for online visits and how they
plan to communicate with families. If they can’t support
visits via technology, send in cards, letters, magazines,
puzzles or other items you know your loved one would
be grateful to receive. Talk with your facility management
about the safest way to deliver items.
MAINTAIN PERSONAL SAFETY
AND SELF-CARE
In order to help slow the spread of Coronavirus, limit
physical contact with others, stay in as much as you can
6 CRYDER POINT COURIER | APRIL 2020 | WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM
and continue to follow guidelines from the CDC. While
you are likely very focused on the person you’re caring
for, it is essential to also care for yourself.
For high-risk individuals, such as those with dementia
and underlying health conditions, consider having
the primary caregiver self-isolate with the care recipient.
Then, have a back-up plan if the primary caregiver becomes
ill. It’s best to be proactive and not have to use plan
B, rather than being caught off guard without options.
For more information about caregiving and important
considerations in light of COVID-19, visit aarp.org/caregiving
and aarp.org/coronavirus.
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