Vaccinations are just as important for seniors as they are for little ones. Elderly people are easily and often affected by pneumonia, viral infections and the flu. According to the CDC, pneumonia and the flu is the seventh leading cause of death for aging adults over the age of 65. Flu season is upon us and it is important for elderly people to have adequate home care services to ensure that they receive proper vaccinations to fight off any threatening illnesses. Families should make certain that measures are in place to take care of the vaccination requirements or needs of their aging loved ones.
Many cases occur where seniors didn’t receive the proper vaccinations when they were smaller. This causes their immune systems to be less resilient to fighting off illness and disease. The impact of chronic illnesses that are related to age makes aging adults more prone to acquire diseases that are preventable by receiving the appropriate vaccinations. Medical home care services can inform families and seniors of the vaccines that are most beneficial to the elderly at this stage in life. In addition, seniors are less susceptible to illnesses if they have received the correct vaccinations on time.
Once an elderly person acquires an illness like the flu or pneumonia, it easily leads to other infections or illnesses in the body. In some cases, aging adults are confined to bed rest to allow themselves time to properly recuperate from these diseases. In this case, seniors can become weak and lose the ability to do things for themselves that they did prior to the illness impacting their lives.
Here are a few vaccinations that are recommended for aging adults:
Pneumococcal – More than 55,000 aging adults die each year due to complications from pneumonia. This disease is highly likely to be contacted by seniors. An effective vaccination to help prevent complications of this nature is the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. The vaccination works to fight against more than 20 of the most common strains of pneumonia causing bacteria. The vaccination can be given to seniors as an original vaccine, and once more five years later, if they were younger than 65 years of age.
Tetanus – Diphtheria-Pertussis (Tdap) -this is a combination of vaccines that are typically issues as one vaccination. It is recommended that everyone get this injection once every ten years, or anytime you have been exposed to a tetanus causing virus.
Shingles – One million Americans acquire shingles each year, and up to half of those who get it or at least 60 and over. TO prevent or minimize possible exposure to this chronic and extremely painful rash, the Zoster vaccine is recommended. Seniors who may have already had or been exposed to shingles should be vaccinated to avoid the possibility of future outbreaks.
Aging adults who have home care services will usually have a better chance of staying up-to-date on their vaccinations. Professional home care services work to ensure that your aging loved ones receive the medical care they need and the vaccinations that could potentially save their life. If you would like to receive our home care services that can benefit your loved one in many ways, contact Total Care Connections today, the home and memory care Phoenix, AZ leaders to set up a free home safety evaluation.
