Hearing that your aging parent has pneumonia is alarming. It can be a very dangerous illness. Your mom’s doctor told her that the severe cold she’s had is actually “walking pneumonia.” What is that and how alarmed should you be? What can you do for her?
What Is Walking Pneumonia?
Mycoplasma pneumonia is the bacterial form of mild pneumonia, but walking pneumonia can also be viral. Either way, it’s given the name because most people can still walk around and aren’t confined to their bed while recovering from it.
But, walking pneumonia can feel like a bad cold or mild flu with a cough, low-grade fever, chest discomfort, sore throat, sneezing, and headache. It can still knock your mom down and leave her with less energy to do normal routines.
What Does She Need?
Your mom’s doctor will advise her on the best medications to take to loosen mucus. She’s going to be advised to drink lots of water and other beverages to help keep mucus flowing. It will help her to have juice, water, seltzer, and hot water infused with ginger, lemon, and honey.
Stock her kitchen with bone broth and foods like unsweetened applesauce and yogurt that are easy to swallow. If she has a sore throat, she will not want solid food. Smoothies made with kefir, frozen bananas, spinach, and raspberries will help cool her irritated throat.
Vitamin C lozenges and cough drops can help. Have lots of tissues on hand, especially those with lotion to help avoid skin irritation. Line up her TV with plenty to watch and have books and magazines on hand. Hand sanitizer and a mask are helpful if she has to go out.
If your mom finds her energy drains quickly, it will help a lot to have someone else washing dishes, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, cooking meals, and running errands. She may feel more comfortable having someone in the area of the bathroom when she showers.
Even driving can be a problem, especially if she’s taking medications that cause drowsiness. If her doctor wants to see her in the office, your mom needs a driver. Make sure someone is available to walk her to the registration desk and wait for her.
Have Caregivers Available to Keep Up With Daily Routines
You work full-time and can help here and there, but you cannot help all week. Your mom can have home care aides to help her with housework, personal care, errands, meals, and more. Make sure you’ve scheduled whatever she needs until she’s feeling better.
Hire companion care at home for now. Her energy is going to be low, and that makes it hard for her to clean her home, cook meals, and run errands. She needs to rest and companion care at home ensures she can.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Companion Care at Home in Queens, NY please contact the caring staff at Perfect Choice Senior Care today. Call (917) 920-6803
Perfect Choice Senior Care provides exceptional senior care services in Queens, Belle Harbor, Hunters Point, Brooklyn, Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Manhattan, Upper West Side, West Village, Upper East Side, Lower Manhattan and surrounding areas.
Their mission is focused on hiring individuals whose objectives are in line with their own.
“We will never compromise our clients for profit or political gain. It would be our absolute honor to serve you and to make you a part of our family, and to provide the best comprehensive and transformational health care services for you and your family.”
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