Not only are there a wide variety of types of pneumonia, but there are also different severities, too.

That means that your elderly family member may have pneumonia and not notice until it becomes quite serious. Recognizing pneumonia earlier means earlier treatment, which is something that helps to keep your senior out of the hospital.

Talk to Your Senior’s Doctor about Preventative Steps You Can Take

It’s really important to start with your elderly family member’s doctor to ask what preventative steps you and she can take regarding pneumonia. If she doesn’t already get the pneumonia vaccine, that might be one of the steps suggested. There could be others that are related to her other health issues and risk factors. Once you know, you can start to put together a plan that covers those bases.

Pay Close Attention to Certain Symptoms

Mild pneumonia may not seem like much of a problem. The symptoms themselves can be very vague and might be easily confused for allergies or even a mild cold. Shortness of breath, chest pain, and low-grade fever are definitely symptoms that mean something is going on with your senior’s health. Some people with pneumonia experience a sore throat, lack of appetite, and even bowel changes.

Learn When to Visit Your Senior’s Doctor

If your senior has had mild pneumonia enough, you may start to recognize when these symptoms are occurring and even before they’re really pronounced. It’s a good idea to talk to her doctor about when it’s time for her to definitely schedule an office visit to get an official diagnosis. That might be when she starts to feel chest pain, for instance.

Consider Steps That Help Your Senior to Be Healthier Overall

There are plenty of things that you and your senior can do that help her to be healthier overall, and these may help to curb her experiences with pneumonia, too. Eating a healthy diet regularly and getting plenty of water every day are always good steps to take, for instance. But those can feel complicated, especially if your senior is often tired or finds cooking difficult. Senior care providers might be able to do some of the cooking for her, freeing up her energy and time for other things.

Pneumonia is definitely not something for your senior to ignore because it can very quickly become severe. Treating it when it’s still mild is infinitely preferable.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in San Mateo, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855

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andy@hcprosonline.com

CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howardis a Bay Area Native who holds a BA in Political Science (University of Colorado at Boulder, ’97). After college Andy worked in the surging tech industry.His Grandmother however, would suffer a significant decline in health and ultimately needed in-home care. The experience of a loved one depending on outside help to age in place proved to be pivotal for Andy as he left the tech industry in 2002 for an opportunity in the home care world with a large provider. After having success in home care, but being frustrated by corporate constraints Andy founded HomeCare Professionals in 2005.He methodically built the company one client at a time by focusing on hiring quality caregivers to ensure positive outcomes. Currently Andy serves as the CEO of HomeCare Professionals and is also highly active in the non-profit organization California Association of Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) which advocates for a higher standard of in-home care for those who wish to remain living at home in California.

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