As the U.S. begins to face the winter months, it is important to note some of the challenges the elderly may face with pneumonia. We wanted to provide some insight around this dangerous infection for elderly adults to better help you identify the symptoms and expected treatments.
What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia in an infection that targets the air sacs located within your lungs. When the infection starts, it causes those air sacs to become irritated which typically starts to show with the symptom of coughing. The infection can affect one or both the lungs depending on the severity of the infection. It can be caused by viruses or bacteria reaching your lungs causing your immune cells to attack them. The unfortunate byproduct of your immune system doing this actually causes the air sac inflammation and fluid build up causing pneumonia.
What Environments Are Higher Risk?
One of the most common ways that pneumonia develops is when people catch a virus from someone else in their community. The elderly are more exposed to the viruses that later cause pneumonia due to their living situations. If your aging loved one lives in an assisted living facility where residents are often in close quarters (i.e. meal times) then you need to be aware of the environmental risk that poses.
Do The Elderly Have a Higher Risk of Hospitalization Due to Pneumonia?
The short answer: yes. A study that was done by the University of Louisville looked at adults over the age of 65 that were hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). During the two year study, they found that the average length of stay for CAP patients was six days. The 30 day mortality rate of those patients was also 17%. The study highlighted how vulnerable aging adults are to pneumonia and why earlier detection can make a big difference.
How Are the Elderly Treated for Pneumonia?
If you caught the symptoms early, there is a likelihood that your aging loved one will be able to have their treatment carried out at home. It will typically be a regiment of different medicines depending on how bad the infection is. It is important as a caregiver in these scenarios to make sure all proper medications are taken at proper times by your aging loved one.
If the pneumonia infection is more severe, many elderly patients will be treated at the hospital. The antibiotics, fluids, and antiviral medications can be administered directly by staff or through an intravenous (IV) line. Oxygen therapy is also another common treatment if your elderly loved one has been hospitalized.
How Can the Elderly Prevent Pneumonia?
There is no current vaccine that can prevent all cases of pneumonia. Your aging loved one’s physician may recommend flu vaccines to help combat the flu virus from entering your lungs and causing a pneumonia infection. You should encourage your loved one to wash their hands regularly, especially when they’ve been in a crowded setting (i.e., meal time at an assisted living facility). If your loved one smokes, encourage them to stop to improve their lung’s ability to filter out germs.
Make sure that you don’t put off taking your aging loved one to be tested for pneumonia if they register any of the common symptoms. The earlier you begin treatment, the better chance of a quick recovery.