2020 was a year like none other. Covid-19 ensured that the world went through unprecedented uncertainty. Life, as we knew it changed forever as humanity tried to cope with the new normal.
It was a new virus that spread through contact or coughing and sneezing. Entire countries went into prolonged periods of lockdown and the way we lived, worked and did business had an overnight paradigm shift. One year later, the vaccine has arrived and is being administered in an orderly manner.
Life is slowly limping back to normal but it is safer to maintain a careful approach and observe precautions till the virus is completely eradicated. Senior citizens are always at a higher risk of complications and death. They must continue to remain safe and observe the safety protocol as before. Seniors are always more vulnerable because age weakens their immune systems and it is worsened by frailty or chronic illnesses like diabetes, lung, or heart disease. They need to be aware of emergency elderly care services that are available as well as daily precautions that they should take to manage the situation.
Seniors need to be prepared for any emergency at all times, especially if they are living alone. Here is a list of general tips on emergency preparedness for seniors. It could normally be medical emergencies for the elderly but it could be any other emergency as well. It is always better to be prepared.
8 Tips for Emergency preparedness for seniors
- Exercise Caution
- Keep medicines and groceries stocked up
- Ensure the working condition of medical equipment
- Don’t panic in case of a medical emergency
- Stay safe, Do not encourage visitors
- Ensure police verification of Caregiver
- Stay positive
- Make your will
Tip 1 – Exercise Caution: Continue to observe Covid-19 precautions
Senior citizens should continue to stay at home to avoid unnecessary exposure to the virus. It is advisable to maintain social distancing at all times. Wearing a mask and washing hands should continue as a safety precaution. When people start moving out in large numbers and do not observe precautions, it becomes a risk for seniors to venture out unless necessary.
They can stay at home or if they wish to be monitored they can sign up for senior citizen home care services in Gurgaon/NCR. In case they go out, they should ensure that they do not touch any surface in public places like the handrail, walls, doors, etc. It is advisable to carry a hand sanitiser at all times. Elderly people can avail the attendant services in Gurgaon with Samvedna Senior Care.
Tip 2 – Keep medicines and groceries regularly stocked up
Running out of household essentials and medicines is avoidable as far as possible. Smartphone apps are available that deliver orders to the doorstep eliminating the need to go out physically. In case they are not tech-savvy, it is better to call the neighbourhood pharmacy and grocer and get the necessary stuff delivered at periodic intervals to avoid running out of stock at night. Samvedna Senior Care provides home care services for the elderly that are ideal for those who wish to stay at home but require assistance at times. Samvedna provides lab test facilities to take care of these needs.
Tip 3 – Ensure working condition of medical equipment
Seniors should keep sufficient stock of batteries at home so that their hearing aids and home testing machines for checking blood pressure, sugar, oxygen levels, etc. are in working condition. It is important to be prepared in case of any medical emergency to monitor the body’s vitals.
Tip 4 – Don’t panic in case of a medical emergency
In case of a medical emergency, senior citizens are advised to stay home, call the doctor and let them know about their problem. Due to Covid 19, telemedicine has got a huge push and a lot of doctors are providing this service. It is easy to keep a list of emergency helpline numbers handy. It should be stored on the smartphone. It should also be written in big bold letters and stuck on the wall in every room so that it is visible and easy to use. It is important to know when to call for emergency help. Get emergency services for seniors if you are not well or start to develop symptoms. Unless needed, it is not necessary to be hospitalized.
Samvedna Senior Care provides several emergency services for elderly including
- Ambulance Assistance
- 24*7 On-call Helpline
- Care Manager Support
- Hospitalization Support
- TPA clearance
- Doctor’s Consultation
Samvedana Senior Care provides elder care services for senior citizens to take care of their physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. They provide online counselling, telemedicine reviews, medical professionals on call, and logistic support for transfer to hospital, etc.
Tip 5 – Stay safe, Do not encourage visitors
Since we are still not in a position to claim that the coronavirus has been eliminated, it is important to maintain precautionary measures. Since seniors are especially vulnerable, they should avoid visitors and maintain social distancing. Wear a mask at all times when going out or coming in contact with workers at home.
Tip 6 – Ensure police verification of Caregiver
It is extremely important for senior citizens living alone to get police verification done before getting caregiver services. They are easy prey for fraudsters and criminals and it is extremely risky to keep anyone in the house unless their antecedents are properly verified. Whenever senior citizens or their relatives employ caregivers to take care of the elderly, it is extremely important to get a police verification report as a precautionary measure. Samvedna Senior Care provides senior care services and even provides caregivers for seniors. They provide companionship and assist them with mobility. They help them with their daily activities, diet management, personal grooming and give them their daily medicines and injections.
Tip 7 – Stay positive
For the sake of their mental health and emotional wellbeing, senior citizens need to keep themselves active. They need to stay happy and positive and spend time playing board games like carrom, scrabble, ludo, etc. They can listen to devotional music and theological discourses to calm the mind. They can read a novel or watch a tv show or an old classic on Netflix. Meditation, chair yoga, Pranayam, and meditation are highly recommended.
Samvedna offers a Cognitive Wellness program and a Dementia cafe to manage the social needs of seniors in a non-threatening environment under the supervision of a clinical psychologist.
Tip 8 – Make your will
Senior citizens need to prepare a will detailing what needs to be done with their assets in the event of their passing away. It is important to ensure that this is prepared and kept in the bank locker or with the lawyer.
Samvedna has extensive experience in dealing with psychological and emotional issues faced by adults and the elderly. They offer counselling services that help elderly people and their children cope better with the challenges that come with old age.
Psychological interventions are effective in the treatment of mental and behavioural health disorders prevalent among elderly people. Therapy can help older people who may have difficulty with the transitions of ageing to manage their emotions, find new sources of enjoyment and meaning in life, and find new support systems. Samvedna has an elite panel of geriatric psychologists who will be able to provide consultation.
Senior Citizens, who are in the twilight of their lives are extremely vulnerable and need to be protected. For those seniors who do not have their immediate family looking after them, it is better to avail specialized services offered by enterprises in the field of medical home care or emergency elderly care. Samvedna Care offers a variety of emergency services for the elderly, like active ageing, health care, and dementia that can be availed. Their helpline number (call and WhatsApp) is 9810887895.
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