COVID-19 Protection for Older Adults and Caregivers

As more Americans face long-term care challenges the pressure of caregiving often falls on family members. Take actions now to keep everyone safe from COVID-19 infection. Prepare for your own care in the decades ahead now.

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COVID-19 Protection for Older Adults and Caregivers
3 Min Read March 9th, 2021 Updated:March 14th, 2021

Family caregivers face additional challenges taking care of elder loved ones due to the virus crisis and COVID-19 infection. With many adult day care centers closed or operating at limited capacities and immediate availability of assisted living and nursing homes more limited, much of the caregiving is falling on adult children.

The COVID-19 vaccine will be beneficial, and everyone eligible to take the vaccine should do so. Herd immunity can be achieved as more people take the vaccine. However, until there are enough people vaccinated, protecting caregivers and care recipients is still critical.

Adults age 65 and older, and those with comorbid issues, are at higher risk of both hospitalization and death. It is essential to take proactive measures to keep both the care recipient and the caregiver healthy and safe.

8 out of 10 COVID-19 related deaths reported in the United States have been in adults 65 years old and older.

The use of face coverings, hygiene, and social distancing are still the key actions you can take to make everyone much safer. Yet too many people forget or avoid using these safety precautions.

Masks Work to Keep Others Safe

The fact is the masks work. This illustration shows the effectiveness of face coverings:

Probability of  Contagion

No matter who you are, face coverings are beneficial, especially for the people around you. A care recipient will benefit significantly if the people around them are using a mask. It also helps if they themselves use a face covering.

Below is President Joe Biden walking at the White House with his mask:

President Biden

First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, wearing her mask while visiting a school:

The First Lady

Many celebrities have taken to social media to show off their face coverings:

Jennifer Aniston

Lady Gaga

Kerry Washington

Reese Witherspoon

Caregivers Should Monitor Their Health

If you are a caregiver or another family member, be sure to monitor your own health. According to the CDC, you should delay or cancel a visit if a caregiver or visitors have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days.

Take your temperature and make sure you don’t have a fever before coming in contact with others.

Anyone who has had close contact with a person with COVID-19 should stay home and monitor for symptoms.

Caregivers will need to be in close contact with the person they are caring for, but guests should practice social distancing. Be sure to adjust any tables and chairs to allow for social distancing.

Try to avoid close contact with the care recipient and any visitors. For example, don’t hug the person, shake hands, or even elbow bump. Instead, just wave and verbally greet them.

The CDC suggests keeping a list of people who come in contact with the care recipient. The list will help with contract tracing if someone becomes sick. Be sure everyone washes their hands before coming in and after leaving.

There are always challenges that come with aging. If you are not prepared, there will be a physical, emotional, and financial burden that you and your family will experience even in the best of times. During the virus crisis, extra precautions need to be in place.

Planning for the financial costs and burdens of aging before you retire will give you control and independence in the decades ahead. You might think you are too young to start planning, yet experts say most people purchase affordable Long-Term Care Insurance policies in their 50s.

It is always best to avoid a crisis and planning before a crisis starts will give everyone peace-of-mind.

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About the Author

Linda is a former journalist who now enjoys writing about topics she is interested in so she “can keep her mind active and engaged”.

LTC News Contributor Linda Maxwell

Linda Maxwell

Contributor since December 11th, 2017

Editor's Note

Planning for future long-term health care has become a vital part of retirement planning. However, in states considering a tax, obtaining coverage may become a priority right away.

Generally, people obtain LTC Insurance in their 50s as part of their retirement planning. Is Long-Term Care Insurance appropriate for you? It depends. If you have enough income and savings to protect, the answer is yes. What if you are younger and have not yet saved much money or maximized your income potential? The answer is less clear.

Seek the assistance of a qualified Long-Term Care Insurance specialist who works with the top companies. They will review your situation and help you determine what action, if any, to take.

One thing is for sure, aging happens, and the consequences on your family and finances can be life changing. Being prepared will reduce family stress and ensure your access to your choice of quality care options while safeguarding assets.

Get Expert Assistance in Planning

Long-term care is a very specialized area, and few insurance agents and financial advisors have the expertise. Seek the help of a specialist who represents the top companies. 

Experts recommend seeking the help of a qualified and experienced Long-Term Care Insurance specialist to help you find the right coverage. A specialist will match your age, health, and family history with the right coverage at the right price. 

Top specialists will often have over 500 clients with Long-Term Care Insurance, some in the thousands. This experience is necessary as every company has its own underwriting criteria. Plus, premiums can vary over 100% between insurance companies. 

A specialist will save you money, and you will have peace of mind knowing they are making the appropriate recommendations - Work With a Specialist | LTC News.

LTC NEWS Offers Many Planning Tools and Resources 

Planning for the future is never easy, but long-term health care planning can be very complicated and comes with many emotions. Getting the right tools and resources will make the process much easier.

One of the goals is to reduce the stress and anxiety usually placed on your family at the time of crisis. LTC NEWS can be beneficial in providing you with important information for you to consider.

LTC NEWS has put in place several resources, including:

Find all the resources on LTC NEWS - Resources for Long-Term Care Planning | LTC News.

Finding Quality Care for Mom or Dad

If your family is already in crisis and you need to find help for mom or dad, LTC NEWS can help. We have put together several comprehensive guides to help you in your process.

Start by reading our guides -  

If your loved one is lucky enough to own a Long-Term Care Insurance policy, be sure they use it. Sometimes families wait, thinking they can save the benefits for a rainy day. Waiting on using available Long-Term Care Insurance benefits is not a wise idea. 

Get Help in Filing a Long-Term Care Insurance Claim

Many insurance companies have issued Long-Term Care Insurance policies over the years. Filing a claim can sometimes be complicated unless you know what to do or get expert help and assistance. 

Don't allow the claim process to stop you from using the benefits available in an LTC policy. Quality care obtained early will help provide a better quality of life and reduce the risk of a deep decline and facility care. 

If you need help in starting the process of a Long-Term Care Insurance claim, LTC NEWS can help. LTC NEWS provides free assistance with no obligation to help you, or a loved one complete the claims process with a Long-Term Care Insurance policy. We have teamed up with Amada Senior Care, who will do all the work - free with no obligation. 

Get help finding quality caregivers or long-term care facilities and get recommendations for a proper care plan, whether a person has a policy. - Filing a Long-Term Care Insurance Claim | LTC News

Benefits of Reverse Mortgages 

Today's reverse mortgages for those aged 62 and older could be an ideal resource to fund a Long-Term Care Insurance policy OR even provide money to pay for care if you, or a loved one, already needs help and assistance. You might be eligible at younger ages as well. 

Some people have much of their savings invested in their homes. With today's reverse mortgages, you can find ways to fund care solutions, care itself, and even help with cash flow during your retirement. 

Learn more by asking questions to an expert. LTC NEWS columnist and host of the TV Show "62 Who Knew" will answer your questions regarding caregiving, aging, health, retirement planning, long-term care, and reverse mortgages. 

- Just "Ask Mike." - Reverse Mortgages | LTC News.

Be A Guest Contributor for LTC NEWS - Share Your Knowledge 

LTC NEWS is open to contributors to share their stories with the world. 

You can write a story or ongoing column for LTC NEWS. You can write about many topics, including aging, caregiving, health, lifestyle, retirement planning, and long-term care, to name a few.

Be sure to write for our core target audience of adults aged 40 and older. Our audience is worldwide; however, our primary target is the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other English-speaking nations. 

Improve your website or blog's SEO and gain exposure and traffic at the same time by being a contributor to LTC NEWS. 

You can even promote yourself, your business, and your website or blog. However, it must have editorial content exclusive to LTC NEWS and not just an advertisement. It can include links to other sites, and you can share the article link once published on your website or social media.

Email your story idea or article: newsroom@ltcnews.com - LTC News Contributors | LTC News

LTC NEWS - Your Marketing and Advertising Partner 

Use LTC NEWS to drive traffic to your website and help you attract people interested in your products and services. Plus, you can improve your website's SEO so more consumers can find you when they search for your products and services.

There are various marketing options available with LTC NEWS. Traditional advertising, sponsored content articles, strategic alliances, and more are available. 

Learn more about how LTC NEWS can help you market your business, drive traffic, and improve SEO - Advertise With Us | LTC News.

Shared Links

LTC NEWS offers a 'helpful links' page so readers looking for additional information can find them easily. You can get a dofollow link to your website on LTC NEWS in exchange for a dofollow link on your site.

Let's work together and help consumers who search for us on the web - Site Request | LTC News.

You can also affordably purchase a dofollow link to your website or blog on LTC NEWS. Just contact the advertising department.

Sharing News with LTC NEWS 

Include LTC NEWS in your press release distribution. If your group, organization, business, political committee, etc., have news to share, send it to LTC NEWS. Email - newsroom@ltcnews.com  

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