6
L E H A V R E
N E W S
A P R I L 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 longterm
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 over-the-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
6 LEHAVRE COURIER | APRIL 2020 | WWW.QNS.COM
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
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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