1st October is the United Nations Day of the Older Person. It marks the start of Stay Safe Week for Older People, an initiative launched by First Aid for Life and Fit for Safety in partnership with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and Age UK.
Covid-19 represents a significant risk to worldwide public health, particularly for older people. Older people are at greater risk of serious health problems from coronavirus. This is because they generally have weaker immune systems and are more likely to suffer from pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, cancer and diabetes. Many older people have previously shielded and are now reticent or lack confidence socialising again. While this may protect physical health, staying at home, away from family and friends can have negative implications on mental health. In this article, we share our tips for staying safe to ensure a healthy body and mind during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Join the Stay Safe community Facebook group and visit StaySafe.support
Trying to protect your loved ones from harm can be lonely. Our Stay safe community Facebook group, has a wealth of helpful resources, a network of experts at the forefront of accident prevention and first aid and a family of like-minded individuals to share experiences, answer questions and help support each other through life’s ups and downs.
You’ll find top tips, latest insights, guest posts and special offers, everything you need to ensure you have the knowledge to protect yourself and those you love and the confidence to help in a medical emergency.
We also have a website for older people and those caring for them. www.staysafe.support
Click here to read the story about Stay Safe and why we started it.
Stay Safe Week – #StaySafe 1st week of October – is a culmination of all the key articles, information and advice for older people and their carers – shared collaboratively by all the partner and supporting organisations to raise awareness and massively increase the number of those reached.
Age UK have some great advice and resources that you can find here.
Eat healthy food
The importance of a good diet is vital to health — and particularly so for older and vulnerable people.
The winter months coming makes it all the more important that older people pay extra attention to their dietary needs, ensuring they get all the minerals and vitamins they require.
A fibre-rich diet is very important, to keep the gut moving, this includes things like porridge, wholegrain bread and cereal.
Vitamin B and B12 in the form of leafy green, broccoli and spinach are vital foods which can lower the risk of strokes and dementia.
When older people are cooking at home, they need to be particularly careful as many accidents can happen here. Read our article about staying safe in the kitchen.
Stay fit indoors
With many older people staying at home and no longer getting out and about as they would have done previously, it is vital that they keep moving. Sadly, a lot of older people’s mobility deteriorated as a result of lock-down.
As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass at a steady rate and this accelerates past the age of 75. The old adage – use it or lose it! Really does work with muscle tone.
Help them to get up on their feet at least once an hour.
If they have a garden, get them to walk around it for 10 minutes several times a day.
Going up and down the stairs regularly is good exercise for your leg muscles, heart and lungs. Marching on the spot is also good.
If they are able to, and prefer a more structured session, set up a video class on Youtube. There are so many to choose from to cater for all abilities and preferences.
Organise their medicine cabinet
Like people of all ages; older people need to ensure they have the basic first-aid kit, but they may also need to stock up to treat things such as joint pain.
Here’s a list of first aid essentials for the over-70s. (With all these drugs, take advice from your pharmacist, especially if already on medication.)
- Paracetamol: Can treat pain including headaches and toothaches and reduce fever. Avoid aspirin — it can affect blood clotting or cause stomach ulcers.
- Ibuprofen gel: A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkiller, it is particularly good for rheumatic and muscular aches and pains. As a topical gel it avoids any risk of stomach ulcers compared to pill form. Ibuprofen tablets have been linked with an increase risk from coronavirus, therefore this is to be avoided.
- Cough medicine: Pholcodine Linctus is a cough mixture which suppresses irritating, dry and tickly cough. Night medications contain a sedative which help you sleep, so don’t use it during the day.
- Stretchy bandages/tubigrip: helpful for sprains and strains.
- The older you get, the thinner the skin, so avoid sticky plasters if possible. Choose Mepore dressings (breathable dressings for cuts) or soft bandage dressings for minor wounds. Keep an eye on the wound and consult a health professional if it becomes hot, red or infected, or takes longer than usual to heal.
- Minor burns should be treated by holding the affected area under cold running water for a full 20 minutes.
- If they wear dentures, Bonjela can help soothe ulcers or mouth injuries – if it is a serious mouth injury, always get medical advice.
- Sore throat spray: These numb the throat. They do work, but don’t drink overly hot drinks after using them. The effect can last an hour or more.
- Thermometer: A cheap digital thermometer is good but not absolutely necessary. You can usually tell you have a temperature if you look flushed and feel hotter than normal on your forehead.
When to contact the pharmacy
If your older relative takes regular medication, organise repeat prescriptions to be sent to their preferred pharmacy. You can request a friend or family member to pick them up or request a home delivery. Many pharmacies do this for free.
There are clever, remote monitoring systems to help organise and support people with medication. They can send alerts to your phone if they haven’t taken their medication as and when directed, allowing you to call them, or drop in to help and check they are okay.
If they decide to take any health supplements, ask the pharmacist to ensure they don’t interact with their regular medication.
Avoid eating or drinking grapefruit and orange juice with medications as they can affect the absorption of the drugs in the body.
Keep mentally active and healthy
If they are tech savvy – encourage them to have regular online chats with friends. If not, help them to embrace technology as it really can help them feel more connected when apart.
Buy them a crossword or puzzle book.
Ensure they have everything they need for their favourite hobby – gardening, knitting, crochet, cooking, or whatever it may be.
Check they can find their TV remote control and it has spare batteries. Work with them to ensure everything in their accommodation is safe and working.
Local community support groups
In response to the coronavirus crisis, a number of local volunteer initiatives have been established around the country to support vulnerable or isolated people. Keep an eye out for groups in your area.
These include the Community Action Response to COVID-19, supported by the National Lottery Community Fund. This network of community groups and charities promotes local initiatives to support vulnerable and isolated people during the pandemic, especially those who do not have close family nearby.
Another community initiative, COVID-19 Mutual Aid UK, has been launched to support the most vulnerable during the outbreak, including the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions.
Other local groups are being set up using Nextdoor, a social networking app for neighbourhoods. You can sign up to the app to find local support groups in your area.
Take an online course
With more people staying at home, it allows you to learn a new vital skill, such as First Aid.
www.onlinefirstaid.com has a wide range of interactive and engaging online first aid courses enabling you to gain an Appointed Person First Aid qualification and verifiable CPD.
There are videos, step by step directions, infographics, test yourself sections and you can download and print your own certificate that is valid for 3 years.
It is compatible with all devices and you can stop and start as often as you like. You have full access for an entire year.
Particularly ideal for anyone needing to top up their CPD, refresh their formal first aid qualifications, gain an Appointed Person first aid qualification, for teenagers to learn first aid (also suitable for DofE), for all parents, grandparents, older people and those caring for them and pet owners.
For anyone urgently needing a formal first aid qualification, we can offer a blend of online learning and 1:1 remote assessment via Skype, Facetime or Zoom.
You may also find the following Amazon Bestselling book: Slips, Trips and Fractured Hips – a useful resource. Giving clear accident prevention and first aid advice for older people.
There is also First Aid for Dogs to provide all pet lovers with the skills and confidence to help your pet in a medical emergency when you are unable to go to the vet.
About us
First Aid for Life provide award-winning first aid training tailored to your needs – Please visit our site and learn more about our practical and online courses. It is vital to keep your skills current and refreshed. We are currently providing essential training for individuals and groups across the UK. In addition, we have a great range of online courses. These are ideal as refreshers for regulated qualifications or as Appointed Person qualifications.
You can attend a fully regulated Practical or Online First Aid course to understand what to do in a medical emergency. Please visit https://firstaidforlife.org.uk or call 0208 675 4036 for more information about our courses.
First Aid for Life is a multi-award-winning, fully regulated first aid training provider. Our trainers are highly experienced medical, health and emergency services professionals who will tailor the training to your needs. Courses for groups or individuals at our venue or yours.
First Aid for life provides this information for guidance and it is not in any way a substitute for medical advice. First Aid for Life is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made, or actions taken on this information.
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