Seniors and COVID-19: The Safest Place is Home

It’s hard to turn on the news or listen to the radio these days without being bombarded by updates on COVID-19.  While many of us prepare to shelter-in-place over the coming weeks, families around the country are finding themselves unable to visit their loved ones in nursing facilities.  

The decision to place your loved one in a nursing facility is never easy. Yet, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2017 more than 1.3 million Americans called their nursing facility home (“Total Number of Residents,” 2017).

But with the rising dangers of the COVID-19 outbreak, more and more families are asking, “How can we bring mom home?”  

Yet, bringing your loved one home brings its own set of challenges. Caring for a loved one with health concerns is challenging even for someone who can provide care full time.  Questions arise such as, what happens when: 

• They need medical attention?
• They need to be seen by a doctor?
• Something happens in the middle of the night?
• Something happens… 
• How can I care for my loved one at home?

Hospice can help.  While your hospice team members never take over as primary caregivers, they can connect you and your family with valuable resources. 

For example, they can give you caregiving options, provide you with a certified nursing assistant to help bathe your loved one, and supply you with nursing support.  

When something happens, even in the middle of the night, instead of calling 911, you call your hospice team.  

When you are considering taking your loved one home and need help doing so, your hospice team will help you make the transition easier.  

Hospice care isn’t for everyone.  This type of care is for people with serious illnesses whose goal is to stay at home and avoid hospitalization.  

You may be thinking, “What qualifies as a serious illness?”  

Your hospice nurse will work with your primary doctor to determine what qualifies your loved one for care.  Care may be appropriate when your loved one has the following symptoms: 

• ✔ Frequent hospitalization 
• ✔ Frequent infections
• ✔ Unexplained weight loss 
• ✔ Increased weakness 
• ✔ Sleeping more 
• ✔ Eating less 
• ✔ The desire to stay HOME 

For more information on how you may be able to take your loved one home during COVID-19,  give our office a call at 847.777.8888. One or our experienced team members will be happy to assist you.