The Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to negatively affect not only the world’s population but also the economy. This infectious disease can be fatal, and it is essential for Alaskan elderly adults and those who interact with them to be precautious. For instance, the fatality rate among people aged 80 years and above is 15%. This alarming mortality rate explains why we must take action to prevent COVID-19 from infecting our elderly loved ones.
Some of the reasons our Alaskan elderly adults are particularly vulnerable to this viral disease include:
Immune System
As you age, your body’s immune system may become weaker. The body may no longer have the youthful energy and ability to fight pathogens as before, hence making elderly adults especially vulnerable to infections and diseases. Also, elderly adults may become sicker and take longer to recover from diseases and infections, then the general population.
This explains why older people are very susceptible to COVID-19. For their not so strong immunity, clearing the coronavirus from their bodies is not that easy. Unfortunately, some have succumbed to this infectious viral disease. So, seniors must receive significant medical attention to help minimize the spread and fatality of the COVID-19. They ought to exercise, eat nutritious meals, and maintain a healthy mindset to fight pathogens.
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
A significant number of our Alaskan elderly adults have pre-existing medical conditions. They suffer from chronic diseases such as Cardiovascular diseases, Cancer, Hypertension, Chronic Respiratory Diseases, and Diabetes. Elderly adults with these medical conditions and other chronic conditions are at increased risk of becoming sick due to COVID-19. With a weaker body immunity, it becomes so easy to become severely ill once they catch the novel coronavirus.
To avoid the spread of the COVID-19 among seniors with pre-existing medical conditions, they must be isolated and given severe medical attention. The caregivers who care for them must ensure that the caregivers do not become sick, that the residents do not become sick, and to control spread. They must maintain at least six feet of distance from others and follow hand hygiene recommendations.
Baxter Senior Living’s caregivers are taking extra special precautions to do our best to ensure:
- Residents do not become sick due to COVID-19.
- Control of the spread in case staff or residents become sick.
- Immediately taking care of those who do become sick and separating them from others.
Congested Homes
If an elderly adult comes into close contact with someone who has been sick or has touched a contaminated surface, they may become sick. If someone has coronavirus coughs, sneezes, or talks to another person who is less than 6 feet away, then the other person can become sick. If someone who is sick coughs or sneezes onto a surface that is less than 3 feet away and then someone else touches that surface, that other person can become sick. The pathogens are invisible, and people who have COVID-19 may not show symptoms. Then when people do become symptoms, those symptoms can be very similar to other conditions. So, people may have COVID-19 and not even realize that they are sick. But if they pass COVID-19 onto an elderly loved one, then the health consequences to the elderly loved one can become alarming and even be fatal.
As such, crowded places provide an avenue for the spread of this deadly virus. By keeping doors open to welcome guests, a senior living community can expose not only the senior caregiver staff but also seniors and their visitors. The virus will quickly spread to seniors who have not only a weak immune system but also pre-existing medical conditions. With such shortcomings, it is very easy for older people to become very sick due to coronavirus disease.
Decongestion of senior living communities and nursing homes will assist in the containment of this pandemic. Imposing restrictions on the access of these homes prevents the spread of COVID-19 from external visitors. This is why our Anchorage Senior Living facility is taking extra precautions to limit access for visitors to enter our community. We must do everything we can to ensure the safety of your elderly loved ones who have joined our Baxter Senior Living family.
Improper Senior Care
Improper senior care has posed a challenge in fighting infectious diseases such as COVID-19 among the elderly. Some are left alone in their homes without the necessary care they need. Some inadvertently are subjected to elder abuse or neglect. They cannot access proper medical attention, take their medications on time, exercise, eat a healthy diet, or take other precautions to maintain their health and immunity.
Such seniors might miss out on experts’ guidelines and instructions regarding the prevention of the coronavirus. This is because of the lack of essential modes of communication like smartphones, television, radios, and other technology. Therefore, they are at risk of catching this viral disease because of insufficient accurate information on how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But do not fret for Baxter Senior Living is here to support seniors improve their quality of life and ensure they receive the senior care they need.
Mobility Challenges
Aging comes along with increased fatigue and weaker bones. This why some seniors use mobility aids such as crutches and wheelchairs. But it is not a guarantee that they will move freely from one place to another to access essential services such as medication or a healthy diet. When infected with the coronavirus disease, it may become a problem to access the needed treatment, such as visiting healthcare providers.
Due to the mobility challenges, some end up succumbing to the disease. Baxter Senior Living will support elderly adults with mobility, ensuring they receive the care they need, and arranging transport for seniors to healthcare appointments.
Misinformation
In the wake of COVID-19 various health institutions, professionals, and governments have recommended preventive measures of COVID-19. But challenges such as lack of proper means of communication jeopardized the transmission of this vital information to some people. Seniors may rely on information coming from the people around them. This poses a serious challenge, since some people they rely on, depend on myths and misconception of the coronavirus disease. Due to misinformation, it can be confusing to know how COVID-19 spreads, its signs and symptoms, how to prevent from becoming sick, and how to control the speed of the disease.
This is why Baxter Senior Living prioritizes the importance of accurate information so that we can best prepare and support our residents and staff through these unprecedented times.
Government Direction
Governments across the world are responsible for sharing a clear message about a mandate to serve their citizens in the best way possible. They have to ensure that people get basic needs. In times of a crisis such as an outbreak of a disease, the government must ensure citizens are well-protected.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has exposed how we need to continue to work on preparing our governments and healthcare systems for an unexpected pandemic. We need to put measures in place to ensure everyone is tested to determine the exact number of people with the coronavirus disease. We ought to develop policies and programs to help stay head of the virus. Fortunately, Alaska does not have as many COVID-19 cases as some other states. We need to ensure that we continue to do everything we can to protect our Alaskan elderly adults.
Bottom Line
Elderly adults around the world have been affected negatively by this new pandemic. According to the coronavirus disease fatality rate by every age group, the severity of this disease increases with age. Although elderly adults with chronic conditions are more particularly susceptible, COVID-19 affects people of all ages. Fortunately, there are actions that we can take to prevent from becoming sick with COVID-19. It is important that we continue to follow recommendations from governments, health institutions, community members, and other relevant authorities to help flatten the curve.
Baxter Senior Living has rolled out some measures to help prevent the spread of this infectious disease among seniors. We have restricted access to our facilities to prevent coronavirus from entering and spreading around our Alaskan senior living homes. To keep seniors up to speed with what is going on, we continuously update them on the status of the pandemic and suggest the recommended ways of stopping its spread.
