Comfort Keepers Home Care for Elderly Services and Immunization for Seniors in Anchorage, Fairbanks, & Wasilla, AK
Learn more about the benefits of immunizations for seniors presented by the experts in elderly home care - Comfort Keepers of Anchorage, Fairbanks, & Wasilla, AK
Each year, many common conditions such as the flu, pneumonia, etc. claim thousands of lives among the elderly. Both the sicknesses and the deaths are very preventable. Home care for elderly service providers offers immunizations--also known as vaccines—for all of them. Immunizations work by injecting a small dose of infection (a pathogen) into your body. This teaches your immune system to recognize it, and it will then attack it upon the next encounter.
Because senior citizens are often in locations where exposure to viruses is common, immunization is essential. If a senior citizen you know hasn’t had their vaccines recently, please urge him or her to keep their immunizations current.
We’ll give you a hand by listing some of the most important vaccines for seniors.
1. Shingles Vaccine
Shingles is a painful skin rash that can often include blisters. People who have had chickenpox are particularly vulnerable since the dormant virus can rebound in the form of shingles.
Shingles afflict as many as one in three adults at one point in their life. Therefore, home care for elderly services urges anyone over the age of 50 should get the shingles vaccine and then keep it updated, as it’s effective for only five years.
2. Flu Vaccine
Seniors are very susceptible to contracting the flu virus. Part of the reason is that they often have weakened immune systems. And when the elderly do get the flu, they are vulnerable to various complications that can come with it. Examples can include nasal and lung infections and, in a worst-case scenario, heart inflammation.
The Center For Disease Control (CDC) reports that 71-85% of seasonal flu deaths happen to people 65 and older.
Therefore, the flu vaccine is crucial for seniors. Our home care for elderly professionals advises that a higher-strength vaccine has been designed just for their particular needs, one that ensures the right number of antigens are produced to attack the viruses..
3. T-Dap (Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis)
This newer vaccine is a combination of immunizations. This vaccine protects against these three conditions and it can be considered a replacement for the vaccine that covered just Tetanus and Diphtheria. Tetanus causes painful tightening of the muscles, diphtheria causes respiratory complications, and pertussis is better known as whooping cough.
Our home care for elderly professionals says that this vaccine is important for all seniors, particularly those who have frequent contact with infants.
4. Pneumonia
Pneumonia sadly causes 60,000 deaths per year and is particularly hard on the elderly. The pneumonia vaccine is one-time, but patients can get renewal vaccines five years or more after the initial shot.
As you can see, it’s absolutely crucial for senior citizens to remain current on their vaccinations. It’s a huge yet easy step toward a higher quality of life. Even if your senior loved one is a bit reluctant, the benefits of vaccinations are undeniable—the benefits can be life!
