The COVID-19 virus has devastated the senior citizen population across the world. Research into the disease shows that people with comorbidities are the ones most likely to pass away because of the pandemic. And unfortunately, it tends to be senior citizens that already have existing health issues. It’s because of this that seniors are still at the highest risk when it comes to having serious health problems because of COVID.
The vaccine was supposed to help get us back to normal by slowing the spread and lessening the severity of the virus, especially for seniors. And while many parts of the world have seen huge success in this area, not all parts are experiencing it. In fact, some parts of the world are now seeing a resurgence of COVID, even with vaccinations in place.
In the U.S. about 59 percent of nursing home staff are currently vaccinated. While this is a great start, it does place some at risk. The vaccine is not designed to eliminate the virus. But, the vaccine is supposed to lessen the severity of the virus, help it pass through your system faster, and reduce the long term risk associated with a COVID infection. Vaccinated or not, it is still possible for the virus to spread.
When it comes to nursing homes though, it’s important to remember that unvaccinated individuals aren’t necessarily at extra risk, but the vaccine can stay in these individuals for longer periods of time. It makes it slightly easier to spread the disease–and thus infect those that are more vulnerable to complications. In a nursing home setting, this could be catastrophic.
Keeping seniors safe is what elder care is all about, but COVID has made it very difficult for this to happen.
The CDC has announced that there will be investigations into why completely vaccinated seniors are still passing away from COVID-19 in nursing homes. Luckily, these events are mostly isolated, but the fact that people are still dying from the virus is concerning–especially now that the vaccine is accessible. The fact that it’s happening within nursing homes is even more concerning as this was where the majority of COVID related deaths happened in the early days of the pandemic. Hopefully, these are unique situations and not indicative of what’s coming next.
Seniors are in a precarious position, even if COVID is completely removed from the picture. This is a population that is often unable to care for themselves in the way that they once did. Having a team of professionals on your side that can help in a safe and trusted way is important. If your family’s senior care isn’t doing this for you, it could be worthwhile to look into other options.
If you have questions or concerns, we can help. Call us and we’ll help answer your questions with no obligation on your behalf. We know how hard this is during normal times and it seems like normal is way behind us now. You want someone on your team, fighting for what’s best. So, let us know how we can help. We’d love to be part of your team!
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