Many of the COVID-19 cases in the United States occurred
among older adults living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. Villa
Healthcare founded by Mark Berger Chicago, acted fast to ensure its residents
and team members had everything they needed to adapt to the changing times.
Making our residents feel at home while keeping them safe is our top priority,
stated Mark Berger, Chief Executive Officer at Villa Healthcare.
Actions to take
·
Strictly follow the establishment's infection
prevention instructions.
·
Notify staff immediately if you feel ill.
·
Consult your caregivers about the steps they are
taking in your nursing home or long-term care facility to protect you and your
loved ones, including whether and how they limit visits.
A Message to Caregivers: If your loved one is unable to ask
or communicate with facility staff, please help them take the actions
recommended on this page by Mark Berger Chicago.
Symptoms
The symptoms of COVID-19 can range from mild to severe, and
can sometimes lead to death. Symptoms can appear 2 to 14 days after exposure.
In some cases, older adults and people of any age with
underlying conditions may have symptoms that are not usually seen in other
people, or fever or other symptoms may take longer to develop.
Febrile symptoms
The normal body temperature of older adults may be lower
than that of younger adults. For this same reason, body temperatures that
indicate fever may be lower in older adults.
If you are an older adult with a fever or other symptoms and
want to be tested, call your healthcare provider first. You can also visit your
state or local health department website or external site icon to view the most
up-to-date local information about screening tests.
If you are caring for a patient 65 years of age or older, be
aware that a single temperature measurement of 100ºF (37.8ºC), several
measurements above 99ºF (37.2ºC), or an increase in temperature greater than 2
ºF (1.1 ºC) relative to the patient's normal (reference) temperature could be a
sign of infection.
Why you might be at
greater risk
The community-based nature of nursing homes and long-term
care facilities, as well as their population (typically older adults, who also
tend to have underlying conditions), increase the risk of infection and severe
COVID-19 in people living in these establishments.
If you are a
healthcare provider
If you are a healthcare provider in a nursing home or
long-term care facility, remember to take extra steps to protect yourself and
the older adults in your care. Viral testing for SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus
that causes COVID-19, is an important addition to other infection prevention
and control practices.
It is now more important than ever to get a flu vaccine
during the 2020-2021 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Getting a flu
shot is particularly important for adults 65 years of age and older, who
account for the majority of hospitalizations and deaths from flu and COVID-19.
