Caregiver in Delray Beach FL
As a family caregiver one of the most stressful and challenging situations that you face is seeing your parent suffer from a serious illness. You go to great extents to try to combat germs in your 
daily life and do everything you can to minimize the risk that your parent will contract an illness or infection. No matter what you do, however, it is likely that your parent will at some point become ill. While a cold or even the flu is unpleasant and can be more severe for your parent than for a younger adult, a serious concern should your parent develop such an illness is pneumonia.
Pneumonia is an infection that occurs within the lungs. The air sacs within one or both lungs become inflamed and may fill with pus or other fluid. This can lead to painful cough that produces phlegm, difficulty breathing, chills, or fever. Though it can occur in people of any age, older adults over the age of 64 are at particular risk of developing this condition.
Some things that you should know about pneumonia include:
- Over one million people enter the hospital each year due to pneumonia
- The average length of hospitalization for a person with pneumonia is just over 5 days
- More than 53,000 people die each year due to pneumonia
- Approximately 12 of every 1000 adults over the age of 74 will develop pneumonia each year
- Seniors with comorbid diseases are more likely to experience serious symptoms and complications of the illness
Pneumonia can develop in people of any age, but there are certain risk factors that increase the chances that your parent will develop or suffer serious complications from pneumonia. Some of these risk factors include:
- Chronic disease. Disease such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease dramatically increase the chances of developing pneumonia. These conditions already make breathing more difficult, but they also challenge the immune system, making your parent more vulnerable.
- Smoking. Smoking is a dangerous habit that truly has no benefits but does have a long list of potential hazards. One of these is increasing the risk of developing pneumonia. People who smoke are at increased risk of illnesses such as cold and flu, which makes your parent more vulnerable. The habit also damages the lungs, making inflammation more imminent and lowering their natural defenses against viruses and bacteria.
- Weakened immune system. Seniors already have immune systems that tend to be lower than those of younger adults. Some conditions, however, can suppress this immunity even further. Illnesses such as HIV, the use of chemotherapy or steroids, and a recent organ transplant all reduce the effectiveness of your parent’s immune system.
- Hospitalization. Having to spend time in the hospital, especially in the intensive care unit, make your parent far more susceptible to pneumonia. The time that she spends in the hospital exposes her to more germs which can develop into pneumonia. This risk is even higher if your parent must undergo treatments with a ventilator.
If you or a family member are in need of caregiver services in Delray Beach, FL, call the caring professionals at Star Multi Care today at (954) 870-4770. Providing service in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Weston, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines, Cooper City, Lighthouse Point, and Wilton Manors.
Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pneumonia/basics/risk-factors/con-20020032
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/pneumonia.htm
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/722306_3
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