Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic started, everybody including the centers of palliative care in Los Angeles has had to change about everything. Even more so when you are someone who has to take care of seniors with chronic or terminal illnesses. By now, many of us are aware that seniors are at a greater risk of contracting a serious illness from the coronavirus. 

Although social distancing helps to safeguard many people from catching Covid-19, the patients of hospices like Faith and Hope, the hospice in Pasadena, still require top-notch care and attention. Therefore, since this is the predicament many caregivers are faced with, they have to take precautions to make sure that the care and attention they provide to seniors is safely and effectively administered. 

Fortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have made clear and concise basic guidelines to help Los Angeles hospice caregivers start with these necessary precautions. Here is what caregivers should be practicing: 

• Wash hands frequently and for at least 20 seconds with soap and water
• Don’t touch your face with unwashed hands, especially the eyes, nose, and mouth
• Practice social distancing and stay about 6 feet away from others
• Wear a face mask, particularly in situations where social distancing is hard to do

In this current situation, caregivers providing palliative care carry on to follow the standard precautions that they usually have, they do so with more diligence. All caregivers have always followed CDC guidelines, however, now it’s even more vital that anybody caring for others, especially the elderly and vulnerable, wash their hands properly and frequently, wear a mask, and practice social distancing when they are not on duty. 

Palliative care professionals in Los Angeles are doing this to ensure that they can continue to offer first-class care. Employees are tested and are uniformed with the appropriate personal protection equipment. If you are a family caregiver, you should have the same mindset and follow the standard CDC guidelines with extra attention to safeguard ailing loved ones. 

What’s Different For Caregivers During The Pandemic? 

Although standard practices have remained the same, specific areas of care have had more alertness put into place. What is concerning for many caregivers is that burnout is highly possible at the moment since many family caregivers are isolated for the sake of preventing themselves from getting the virus and passing it on to the person they are attending to. 

In normal circumstances, caregivers are encouraged to take breaks, get outside, and socialize. However, during the pandemic, these activities are considered unsafe. These breaks are vital to prevent burnout and help caregivers get out of the house. So, caregivers have to be happy with drives around the block, or even a walk to an outdoor area where they are certain they are practice social distancing. 

In normal instances, there are caregivers who probably do not require to make the effort to take breaks, since they normally socialize within their daily lives. Nevertheless, with social distancing in effect in many areas across the United and States, and even the world, these breaks are crucial for their mental well-being. 

This goes the same for the patients being cared for as well. Caregivers should make it a point that their patients take frequent breaks from the news, which can lead to extreme anxiety and depression. It is something that caregivers should be aware of on a normal basis, but especially more so during a pandemic or when there is a lot of political conflicts. 

What Other Preventative Actions Should Caregivers Take? 

In spite of all the socially distant measures that are in place, many dedicated and hard-working caregivers have continued to communicate with others.  This is an extremely important action caregivers as well as patients need to do to support their overall health during the pandemic. Caregivers and patients should keep in touch with their loved ones, even if this means communicating through technological methods or socially distant visits. 

Why Should Caregivers Be Extra Cautious? 

Covid-19 is constantly evolving and researchers are still learning new things about the virus every day. So, it’s difficult to say, we are all keeping ourselves and the ones we loved in a bubble of complete protection. If you are a caregiver, keeping a vulnerable person safe during the pandemic could mean taking extra provisionally steps yourself. This might even be the case if you are low at risk and restrictions in your area are easing. 

Researchers claim that around 25 percent of those who are infected with coronavirus do not show any symptoms but are still contagious. So, even though you may feel healthy, there is still that possibility that you could be spreading Covid-19 to vulnerable loved ones without even knowing it. Furthermore, this possibility greatly increases the more you put yourself in situations where it’s highly likely you are exposed to the virus. 

This means caregivers have to take the necessary steps to make sure the possibility of being exposed to the coronavirus stays low. Furthermore, taking these extra precautions, even though it may feel like a hassle sometimes, means caregivers and family members can continue to provide the care and support their patients or vulnerable loved ones require.

Caregivers Should Keep In Mind The Covid-19 Symptoms

A caretaker’s responsibility during the pandemic is to make sure you making the right health care decisions for the ones in your care. At this time, this means caregivers are on high alerts for any symptoms of upper respiratory symptoms. However, the coronavirus shares the same symptoms as the common cold, the flu, and seasonal allergies. 

In this case, it’s important to know what symptoms differ Covid-19 from other common respiratory illnesses. This can help caregivers to make the right decision if the one in their care is starting to experience symptoms. 

The most common symptoms of Covid-19 include the following:  

• Fever
• Dry cough
• Shortness of breath

The pandemic has made it difficult for everybody, but we should all remain as positive as possible, find creative ways to communicate with one another, keep washing our hands, wear a face covering, and social distance whenever we can.