Helping Your Senior Recover from Pink Eye

Elderly Care in East Hampton NY

Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, is a very common infection, but can cause serious discomfort for your elderly parent. Because this infection of the membrane lining the inside of the eyelid and covering the white portion of the eye is highly contagious, the care that you give to your parent as they are trying to deal with this condition is critical to helping them to recover and to preventing them from spreading the infection to their other eye or to you.

Use these tips to help you care for your elderly loved one effectively as they deal with pink eye:

• Use a cool compress. Common symptoms of pink eye include itching, burning, and stinging sensations in the eye. Using a cool, damp compress on your closed eye for a few minutes several times a day will ease these symptoms for your parent so that they are more comfortable.
• Use a warm compress. Some people with pink eye also experience discharge from the eye that can cause their eye to stick together, which can be very uncomfortable using a warm damp compress on a closed eye and then wiping gently can help to wash away this discharge. This not only makes them more comfortable but also helps to remove the germs which can hasten the healing of the eye.
• Comply with medications. Doctors often prescribe special eye drops or ointments to help kill the germs and clear up the infection as well as manage the signs and symptoms of the condition. Make sure that your aging parent complies with these prescriptions, using them how they are supposed to for the full course of the medication. Make sure that they do not touch the container to their eye or touch their other eye with anything that might have touched the affected eye as this can spread the infection to the healthy eye.

Starting elderly care for your aging parent is one of the best decisions that you can make for them throughout the course of your caregiver journey with them. An elderly home care services provider can be with your senior loved one on a customized schedule that is tailored to their specific needs, challenges, and limitations in a way that is right for them. This means that they can enjoy a lifestyle that is fulfilling, active, and engaged, but that is also safe, comfortable, and healthy. A care provider can create a highly personalized course of care, support, assistance, and encouragement designed to address their personality, goals, and beliefs so that they are able to live the lifestyle that they desire and deserve throughout their later years. When it comes to helping your elderly loved one deal with a pressing health condition or recover from an illness or infection such as pink eye, this elderly home care services provider can be with your aging parent to encourage them to comply with their prescriptions and lifestyle goals, make healthy lifestyle choices, and practice aggressive germ control that will allow them to stay healthier as they age in place.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional elderly care in East Hampton, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/features/conjunctivitis/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pink-eye/basics/definition/con-20022732