Local Nursing Homes Prepare for Deadly Flu Virus
Each year, the flu kills thousands of people and the elderly make up a majority of those deaths. The CDC reports between 70-85% of seasonal flu deaths are people 65 years or older.
Because of the higher risk of death, nursing homes and retirement communities must take extra care to avoid the spread of the flu virus. Erie News Now reached out to nursing homes in the area to find out if any have had issues yet this season.
Brevillier Village in Harborcreek has all of their staff and most of their residents get flu shots each season. The retirement home's infection control nurse Beverly Lasher told Erie News Now, "[It's] very deadly to the senior citizens. Their immune systems are already compromised and especially in long term care with the living situation, being such close quarters, the CDC recommends all staff and residents have the flu shot each year."
Brevillier Village has all staff aware of the symptoms of the flu and all of them must keep an eye out for any residents that might be experiencing them. If a resident is suspected to have the flu, a staff member will do a nasal swab and test it for the virus.
If the virus is confirmed in the retirement home, the staff takes steps to prevent it from spreading. "Once we have one case of the influenza, then what we do is put the whole unit on restrictions because usually there's more to come after that," Lasher said.
The flu virus can only be contracted by directly coming into contact with it. For example, if somebody who has the virus sneezes or coughs and those germs are breathed in, or touched by somebody else who then touches their face, that person could then become infected.
Lasher says the home takes extra care during flu season to minimize the chances for residents to catch the virus. "Everybody has to work together, including housekeeping, to make sure that high touch areas are cleaned properly, staff is cleaning their hands properly, because that's the most common means of stopping the spread of influenza," Lasher said.