{"id":3814,"date":"2024-01-19T09:00:47","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T09:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/39\/?p=3814"},"modified":"2024-03-15T09:35:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T09:35:21","slug":"ways-to-help-older-adults-prevent-flu-and-pneumonia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/39\/california\/sandiego\/blog\/ways-to-help-older-adults-prevent-flu-and-pneumonia\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can Seniors Avoid the Flu and Pneumonia?"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols offset_small\"><div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CDC estimates up to 70 percent of flu-related hospitalizations each year involve older adults. According to Everyday Health, it\u2019s also common for the flu to contribute to pneumonia, a respiratory infection that can be dangerous for seniors. These are definitely two conditions older adults should avoid whenever possible. Keep reading to learn how seniors may be able to achieve this goal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Pay Attention to Vaccination Recommendations<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seniors are advised to get seasonal flu vaccinations, since each vaccine is tailored to the strain of influenza expected to be most prevalent during a particular season. While being vaccinated for the flu does reduce the risk of developing pneumonia, older adults with compromised immune systems or chronic health issues are often advised to get separate pneumonia vaccinations as well. There are two types of pneumonia vaccines, which are typically given a year apart:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PCV13 \u2013 Protects against 13 common types of pneumonia-causing bacteria\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PPSV23 \u2013 Protects against 23 additional types of pneumonia bacteria\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s also a good idea for family caregivers and other family members who spend a lot of time around their aging loved ones to get vaccinated as well to reduce the risk of unintentionally spreading the flu or passing along germs that can cause pneumonia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seniors who want to remain healthy as they age can benefit in a variety of ways when they receive professional <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">homecare<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assisting Hands Home Care is here to help your loved one accomplish daily tasks, prevent illness, and focus on living a healthier and more fulfilling life.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Practice Good Hygiene<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both the flu and pneumonia can be spread through contact with counters, doorknobs, and other surfaces. Airborne particles can also transfer these illnesses to seniors. For these reasons, older adults are encouraged to be mindful of good hygiene habits that should include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Washing hands regularly\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cleaning counters and other frequently touched surfaces\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Minimizing face touching\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seniors and anybody regularly around older adults should also cover their mouths and noses with tissues or their inner elbows when sneezing or coughing. Doing so reduces the possibility of unintentional germ transfer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Take Steps to Naturally Boost the Immune System<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another reason seniors are susceptible to the flu and pneumonia is because their immune systems are less capable of fighting off illness-causing organisms. Encourage your loved one to naturally boost his or her immune system by:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eating citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, berries, low-fat dairy products, and other immune system\u2013boosting foods\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting sufficient sleep\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finding ways to regularly exercise\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A home caregiver can help your loved one prepare nutritious meals and get regular exercise. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don\u2019t all need the same type of<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">senior <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/39\/california\/sandiego\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">home care. San Diego<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">families can rely on Assisting Hands Home Care to provide individualized care plans to meet their elderly loved ones\u2019 unique care needs. Our caregivers help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and we offer mentally stimulating activities that can boost cognitive health and delay the onset of dementia.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Ditch the Smoking Habit<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to HealthInAging.org, simply quitting smoking is a step that could prevent pneumonia. The increased circulation that goes along with quitting can also provide an added immune system boost that reduces flu susceptibility. On a side note, the physical effects of no longer smoking (often referred to as \u201csmoker&#8217;s flu\u201d because the symptoms resemble those caused by the flu) are normally temporary and not the same as the regular flu.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Drink Plenty of Healthy Fluids<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regular hydration keeps nasal passages moist so they can trap germs. Drinking plenty of water, green tea, and other healthy beverages also increases circulation, which helps the immune system work more efficiently, further reducing flu and pneumonia risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preventing illnesses such as the flu and pneumonia is important because they can lead to more significant health issues. Living with serious health conditions can make it challenging for seniors to age in place. However, they can maintain a higher quality of life with the help of professional around-the-clock <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">elderly home care. San Diego<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> seniors can benefit from assistance with meal prep, bathing, transportation to the doctor\u2019s office, medication reminders, and much more. Assisting Hands Home Care will work with you to customize a care plan that\u2019s just right for your loved one\u2019s needs. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Call one of our friendly Care Managers today to learn more about our customized care plans.<\/span><\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The CDC estimates up to 70 percent of flu-related hospitalizations each year involve older adults. According to Everyday Health, it\u2019s also common for the flu to contribute to pneumonia, a respiratory infection that can be dangerous for seniors. These are definitely two conditions older adults should avoid whenever possible. Keep reading to learn how seniors may be able to achieve...","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":3791,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senior-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tips for Helping an Aging Loved One Guard Against Flu &amp; Pneumonia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Influenza and pneumonia can cause severe health complications for aging adults. Follow these tips to help your parent avoid getting pneumonia and the flu.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/39\/california\/sandiego\/blog\/ways-to-help-older-adults-prevent-flu-and-pneumonia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Can Seniors Avoid the Flu and Pneumonia?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Influenza and pneumonia can cause severe health complications for aging adults. Follow these tips to help your parent avoid getting pneumonia and the flu.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/39\/california\/sandiego\/blog\/ways-to-help-older-adults-prevent-flu-and-pneumonia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Assisting Hands San Diego Home Care\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AssistingHandsSanDiego\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-19T09:00:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-03-15T09:35:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/39\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/64\/2024\/01\/ways-to-help-older-adults-prevent-flu-and-pneumonia-san-diego-ca.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"525\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Assisting Hands\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AHHCNational\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AHHCNational\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Assisting Hands\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Tips for Helping an Aging Loved One Guard Against Flu & Pneumonia","description":"Influenza and pneumonia can cause severe health complications for aging adults. 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