Assisted Living Center Taking Extra Steps to Protect Elderly from Flu
By: Kim Behrens
Updated: January 15, 2013
NORMAL- In most nursing homes, if one person gets sick it's not long before the rest of the pack comes down with it too.
That's why 86 year old Junior Bartels, has his guard up.
"The flu is going around!" said Bartels.
In a facility where many people live under one roof, germs travel fast.
Unlike a young person, the flu can take a terrible toll on those in their golden years.
"They have so many other underlying illnesses, so just a little thing could make those underlying illnesses more prominent," explained infection control nurse Luci Peckmann.
Peckmann works at Heritage Health Therapy and Senior Care.
For the past few weeks she's been busy keeping the place clean.
That includes filling sanitation dispensers and making sure all residents wash their hands.
"Whether it's high flu season or not, it's always important to educate these things," Peckmann explained.
Heritage Health nursing staf say keeping residents free from the flu within their walls is the easy part.
It's protecting them from those outside that's worrisome.
"If you're coming into our home here, let's keep the flu out," said Peckmann.
That's why management is asking people to refrain from visiting if they have flu-like symptoms.
That goes for employees too.
"It is more of a challenge in the nursing home with the elderly," added Peckmann.
While the facility can only do so much to keep it's people safe, there's an age old remedy 86 year old Bartels believes works every time.
"I think a beer a day could keep the flu the away!" he laughed.
Flu Effect:
Heritage Health's nurse says in her 18 years working there, this flu season is one of the worse she's ever seen.
She's says it's second to the H1N1 scare a few years back.
That's why 86 year old Junior Bartels, has his guard up.
"The flu is going around!" said Bartels.
In a facility where many people live under one roof, germs travel fast.
Unlike a young person, the flu can take a terrible toll on those in their golden years.
"They have so many other underlying illnesses, so just a little thing could make those underlying illnesses more prominent," explained infection control nurse Luci Peckmann.
Peckmann works at Heritage Health Therapy and Senior Care.
For the past few weeks she's been busy keeping the place clean.
That includes filling sanitation dispensers and making sure all residents wash their hands.
"Whether it's high flu season or not, it's always important to educate these things," Peckmann explained.
Heritage Health nursing staf say keeping residents free from the flu within their walls is the easy part.
It's protecting them from those outside that's worrisome.
"If you're coming into our home here, let's keep the flu out," said Peckmann.
That's why management is asking people to refrain from visiting if they have flu-like symptoms.
That goes for employees too.
"It is more of a challenge in the nursing home with the elderly," added Peckmann.
While the facility can only do so much to keep it's people safe, there's an age old remedy 86 year old Bartels believes works every time.
"I think a beer a day could keep the flu the away!" he laughed.
Flu Effect:
Heritage Health's nurse says in her 18 years working there, this flu season is one of the worse she's ever seen.
She's says it's second to the H1N1 scare a few years back.
