Seasonal Allergies and Seniors- How to Enjoy the Fall Weather

Fall is a beautiful time of year and a great time to enjoy the outdoors! At Best Home Care, we want our home caregivers and their patients to be able to make the most of it. But with the cool crisp air and changing leaves comes a downside - Allergies! Fall can be a time of year where sneezing, runny noses, and itchy watery eyes, as well as colds and sinus infections, start popping up everywhere.

Since we are in the business of helping personal care assistants and at home nurses provide the best quality homecare, we have found some tips for managing allergies in senior homecare:

• Be conscious of windy days! Pollen is released in the morning and on windy days it is almost unavoidable. It may be a good idea to wear a scarf or mask around your face if you’ll be out early.
• Check pollen levels along with the weather. If you know you’ll be outside on a certain day, be sure to check how high the pollen levels are so you can prepare and plan around that.
• Shut windows. Especially on those windy days, irritants can and will blow right through the window.
• Set up an appointment with your primary doctor. They may be able to recommend some medications or even refer you to an allergist if necessary. It is always best to do this sooner rather than later especially for seniors with cardiovascular disease.
• Check meds for side effects. Allergy meds tend to come with side effects like dizziness and drowsiness, which means they can increase the risk of a dangerous fall for seniors. Always check side effects to be safe!

At Best Home Care we want our caregivers and home health aides to be aware of all issues that could impact seniors and their home healthcare experience. If you have any questions about finding homecare services for seniors, children, or the disabled contact us today. Call (651) 330-2550, email us at info@besthomecaremn.com, or stop by our website for more information about us, and our services!