Do You Need Immunizations as a Caregiver for Your Senior?

By Julie McCormick, Co-Owner | August 10, 2017 | Comments Off on Do You Need Immunizations as a Caregiver for Your Senior?
Elder Care in Warren County VA: Caregiver Immunizations

Elder Care in Warren County VA: Caregiver Immunizations

Getting immunizations can be one of the most important steps that your parent can take to help them preserve their health and well-being throughout their later years.  The World Health Organization reports that shots save millions of lives throughout the world each year and that they are the most cost-effective means of health protection.  As a family caregiver, however, it is important that you also understand the value of immunizations for you.  Getting the right immunizations during your caregiver journey can be a critical part of protecting yourself and your elderly loved-one, particularly during seasons of the year when infectious diseases are most common and severe.

Some of the immunizations that are most commonly recommended for caregivers of elderly adults include:
• Flu
• Pneumonia
• Tetanus
• Diphtheria
• Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, known collectively as the MMR vaccination
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Varicella, to protect you against chicken pox
• Meningitis

As a caregiver, you should know…

It is important to note that the chicken pox vaccine protects both of you in different ways.  This vaccine protects you from contracting chicken pox and transferring it to your parent.  Because the chicken pox virus is the same that causes shingles, a very painful condition that most often develops in later adulthood, getting the chicken pox vaccine can protect both of you from this condition.  If your parent has already suffered from chicken pox but you have not, getting this vaccine is particularly important.  If you should contract chicken pox, you will be able to spread the virus to your loved-one, potentially resulting in a case of shingles.
Remember that not all vaccines are right for everyone.  Talk to your doctor about your need for vaccinations and which ones might be right for you.  Do not forget to mention that you are a caregiver for your senior, as this might change the recommendations that your doctor offers.

Finding help…

Starting elder care for your aging parent can be one of the best decisions that you can make for your senior throughout the course of your caregiver journey with them.  An elderly home care services provider can be in the home with your parent on a customized schedule to ensure that they give the specific care services they need while also ensuring that you remain in control of their care routine. Through a set of highly personalized services, this care provider is able to help your loved-one remain safe, healthy, happy, and comfortable while also pursuing a lifestyle that is as active and independent as possible. As a family caregiver, this can give you greater peace of mind knowing that your senior loved-one will have everything that they need to maintain a fulfilling,

Through a set of highly personalized services, this care provider is able to help your loved-one remain safe, healthy, happy, and comfortable while also pursuing a lifestyle that is as active and independent as possible.  As a family caregiver, this can give you greater peace of mind knowing that your senior loved-one will have everything that they need to maintain a fulfilling, engaging quality of life as they age in place.  This can not only ease your caregiver stress but can also enable you to better focus your energy and attention on the efforts that you are able to give your senior to ensure that they are as effective as possible and to support a strong, meaningful relationship.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering elder care in Warren County, VA, please contact the caring staff at LivinRite Home Care.
Call Us Today at (703) 634-9991.
Serving Northern Virginia, The Valley, and Surrounding Communities.

 

Sources:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/9367/vaccinations-for-caregivers-and-older-adults
https://www.vaccines.gov/who_and_when/seniors/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam.html
http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/immunization/en/

 

Julie McCormick, Co-Owner
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Posted in Caregiver Health Tips, Elder Care in Warren County VA and tagged