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The Elderly at Risk for COVID-19
Aug 26, 2020
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The Elderly at Risk for COVID-19
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. For those unfamiliar, COVID-19 is an illness caused by a virus that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a new form of coronavirus that has spread throughout the world, and has created a global pandemic putting particular age groups in danger for hospitalization, intensive care, ventilator assistance, and even death.
Risk Increases with Age
The CDC writes that as we age, the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases. “For example, people in their 50s are at higher risk for severe illness than people in their 40s. Similarly, people in their 60s or 70s are, in general, at higher risk for severe illness than people in their 50s. The greatest risk for severe illness from COVID-19 is among those aged 85 or older.” This is important to recognize for those in the healthcare industry, or those living with elderly loved ones because the virus is spread from coming into contact with people who possess COVID-19.
Underlying Medical Conditions in the Elderly
As we age, the likelihood of developing something that compromises our health increases. In accordance with research from the CDC, the Mayo Clinic writes that in the U.S., about 80% of deaths from the disease have been in people aged 65 and older. Risks are even higher for older people when they have underlying health conditions.
The National Foundation for Infectious Disease (NFID) puts it best— older adults and people who have chronic medical conditions including heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, cancer, and hypertension are at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness and death. This is because our immune systems grow weaker as we age, which makes it more challenging for older adults to fight off infectious diseases. According to the Mayo Clinic, COVID-19 targets the lungs, so you're more likely to develop severe symptoms if you have preexisting lung problems. For a person in the 65 and older category, the risk of serious symptoms is higher if you have these conditions:
● Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
● Lung cancer,
Some lung conditions may increase your risk of serious illness from COVID-19, including:
● Cystic fibrosis
● Pulmonary fibrosis
● Moderate to severe asthma
Elderly people who have undergone an organ transplant, major surgery, or are going through a treatment for cancer are also more at risk for developing serious illness as a result of COVID-19.
Long Term Care Facilities
Long term care facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living take care of some of the most vulnerable living populations being that the bulk of their residency consists of elderly people with chronic medical conditions. Many factors make nursing homes and living facilities dangerous for our elderly loved ones— staffing shortages, the proximity in which the residents live, and poorly regulated sanitation measures, allows for the spread of the disease to continue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “more than 1.3 million individuals reside in 15,600 nursing home facilities across the United States (8), and in the days and weeks to come, we will likely continue to see reports of COVID-19 outbreaks in LTCFs (long term care facilities).”
In an article on the Johns Hopkins website by Diane Meyer, RN, MPH, and Elena Martin, MPH, we learned that on March 13, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a memorandum directing all nursing homes to restrict visitors except those medically necessary. This is an important effort for controlling the spread of the disease within these facilities— this is not an easy thing to come to terms with. The visits that nursing homes allow for are very important to both residents and family members for many reasons. Staff at these facilities should be able to set up a way for their residents to “e-visit” in order to continue communication between families. This could mean using internet applications like Zoom, Facetime, Google Duo, and Skype.
The residents who have physical disabilities or cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease, will likely have the most difficult time with these changes to visitation protocol. Changing up routine on someone who uses it to help with their memory can add a good amount of stress to their already uncomfortable day-to-day. If you have a loved one in assisted living, make sure to stay on top of these e-visits to help keep them calm, and see your face in some capacity. During conversation, remember to stay on track with easy and clear talking points— there’s no reason to bring attention to the fact that it can’t be an in-person visit insead like they are used to. Keep your loved ones calm and fill them in on your life to make things seem normal otherwise.
Learn about the common symptoms of COVID-19, reasons why older people have a wide variety of symptoms & how to spot early signs of COVID-19 in the elderly.
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You’ve heard the name many times by now— Coronavirus (or COVID-19) is a disease that’s become so deadly it’s spiraled us into a global pandemic. For those unfamiliar with how it got its name, in COVID-19, 'CO' stands for 'corona,' 'VI' for 'virus,' and 'D' for the disease. According to the CDC, “coronavirus” is actually an umbrella term for a family of viruses that can cause illness in animals or humans.
No matter what age, we all have moments of confusion. But when your elderly loved one is consistently exhibiting these signs, it might be because s/he is undergoing cognitive impairment. Having difficulty comprehending is a common sign these problems; however, it is often brushed aside as "old age." The person experiencing these difficulties may make excuses: the TV shows today are too complicated, their family members talk too fast, the lights are too dim to read. Ignoring the signs of comprehension difficulties, though, just make life harder for everyone involved. Comprehension and Confusion Comprehension is the opposite of confusion. Comprehension is a complex process in the brain through a system of nerves and chemicals, and it involves language, recognition, and function processes. Cognitive impairment disorders like dementia and Alzheimer's disrupt those complex processes. It can manifest as sudden memory loss, impaired motor coordination, and other more subtle thought processes that we will discuss. When someone has difficulty with comprehension, s/he has trouble putting together the various actions needed to perform a task. For example, your mom might need a cup from the cupboard. In order to do so, she must first decide she wants the cup. Then she might need to get out of her chair, walk across the kitchen, raise her hand, open the cupboard, and take the cup out of the cupboard. If she has difficulty with comprehension, she will have a hard time putting all of these elements to work to achieve her goal, which might result in several different outcomes: she could fall, break the cup, or just forget what she was doing before she reaches the cupboard. She knows what she wants to do but has trouble making all the connections necessary to get there. How Cognitive Impairment Affects Your Loved One Difficulty comprehending is frustrating for your elderly loved one and for you, but the first step toward helping your loved one is understanding what s/he is experiencing. Here are some examples of how someone with dementia or Alzheimer's disease might have trouble comprehending everyday situations. TV/books: Someone with dementia might not be able to follow a basic storyline and could not tell somebody else what is going on in the TV show or book. Social situations: Someone with dementia might see two children playing and interpret that they are fighting or vice versa. The person with dementia may step in and try to resolve the situation without realizing what is actually happening. Conversations: As with the TV/book example, someone with dementia can't follow an everyday conversation . S/he doesn't know who or what is being discussed and especially cannot tell when the subject matter has changed. Time: Someone with trouble comprehending will have difficulty telling time and might not know whether it is day or night. How Cognitive Impairment Affects You Because of these comprehension difficulties, the person experiencing dementia or Alzheimer's disease will rely on the people around him/her to tell him/her what is going on. For instance, your loved one may constantly ask you to repeat yourself. S/he may also have trouble following instructions. These situations can be aggravating for you, particularly if they are new, however it is important to understand that your loved one is not trying to bother you by failing to follow directions or asking you to repeat information over and over. These are symptoms of cognitive impairment , and neither you nor they can control it. If your family member begins to exhibit any of these signs, take him or her to your physician with a description of the comprehension difficulties you've noticed so that s/he has plenty of information for a cognitive function assessment. If the doctor diagnoses dementia or Alzheimer's, ask specific questions about treatment so that you can do your part to serve your loved one despite mild cognitive impairment. It is important to get help for your loved one, and there is no reason for you to care for your loved one alone. Caring for an aging relative requires time, patience, and expert care. Complete Care At Home can help you create a customized plan to meet the unique needs of your loved one with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Contact us today for an expert assessment.
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