Tracking Vaccinations In A Senior Living Community

Immunization records are essential records that track your vaccination history from when you were a baby to the present. It is essential for older adults, especially those 65 and older, to have an immunization record. Additionally, the record should be up to date.

This article discusses immunization records for seniors. We will discuss its importance, tracing vaccination records, and what to do if you don’t get any records. Additionally, we will discuss the best way to keep track of vaccinations in senior living communities.

Importance of vaccines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that every year, thousands of people are hospitalized, develop long-term illnesses, and even die after contracting illnesses that could have been avoided had they been vaccinated. Older adults are especially at high risk.

Some of the vaccine-preventable diseases that prove fatal are; flu viruses (including seasonal flu), pneumococcal disease, HPV (which is a risk factor for cancer), tetanus, influenza viruses (including influenza flu), shingles, and pertussis, among others.

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The CDC ensures that the vaccines people get are safe. Some studies suggested there is a link between the flu vaccine and Guillain barré syndrome (GBS), especially in older adults. Research has shown that the exact cause of GBS is still unknown, and there is no evidence that the flu vaccine causes GBS.

Are vaccination records vital?

Most people assume that vaccines are just meant for kids, but that is not the case. Although you will receive most vaccines when you are just a few months of age, you may require booster shots when you become an adult.

Vaccination records are critical for seniors because other than health care providers in senior living communities knowing which vaccines they require, they can also give them booster shots for vaccines administered when they were younger, some of which are relatively new.

Tracing vaccination records for seniors

Unfortunately, no organization maintains vaccination records, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The only records you may find are those parents or caregivers are given when the vaccines were administered and the medical records of the clinic where the vaccines were administered. Therefore, it is up to every individual to gather their vaccination records.

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Tracing vaccination records for seniors can be a daunting task. Therefore, it would help to have a comprehensive plan on how to go about it.

To trace vaccination records for seniors, there are specific places you can check. Here are a few tips.

  1. Ask whether they have records of their childhood immunizations. Most times, the records are passed on from their parents or caregivers.
  2. Check documents they saved from their childhood; this includes any baby books.
  3. Check with their previous employers. Some employers have specific vaccination requirements, so you’ll be able to tell which vaccines the senior got.
  4. Check with schools that the seniors attended. Some high schools and colleges keep such records for several years.
  5. Check public health clinics where the seniors frequented.
  6. Consult their doctors.
  7. Check with state health departments. Some of them keep immunization records, but they may not be for people of all ages.

Once you get all the necessary vaccination records possible, take them to the senior’s doctor and request that they be compiled and uploaded on an official immunization record and other relevant registries.

After that, store all the documents you gathered in a safe place for future reference.

What if you can’t get any records?

If you tried all means but couldn’t get any records, consult your healthcare provider. There are specific blood tests that can reveal whether or not the senior received certain vaccinations.

However, there are instances when the senior will have to be vaccinated again, especially when there are no records and the blood tests do not prove that the senior is immune to specific vaccine-preventable illnesses. 

Note that the vaccines are safe whether or not the senior received them earlier. In the long run, the vaccine will reduce the risk of them succumbing to various illnesses.

Keeping track of vaccinations

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Today, most people move every few years and change healthcare providers in the process. Therefore, getting old vaccination records may prove difficult as well as time-consuming.

You must keep track of the vaccinations of seniors in senior living communities. The records should also be accurate and up-to-date.

Draw up an immunization record for each senior and store them safely together with other vital documents. Alternatively, you can ask a vaccine provider, pharmacist, or doctor for a vaccine record form and use it to fill in the necessary details for each senior.

It would be best if you had the vaccine record form present during any hospital visits. Ask the vaccine provider to sign the form any time you receive a vaccine. They will sign against the type of vaccine the senior received.

Note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently started an initiative to store immunization records. Therefore, it would be best to ask the vaccine provider to update the seniors’ information on the CDC Immunization Information System (IIS). This way, the senior’s vaccination records will be readily available on the system.

Another advantage of the IIS is that it makes it easy for a vaccination provider to determine the appropriate vaccinations for the senior. It combines all vaccination records into a single record so that they can access them easily.

Covid -19 vaccinations for seniors

Most seniors live in senior living communities. More often than not, the seniors in these settings have underlying conditions since they belong to a specific age group. Therefore, they are at a higher risk of contracting the virus that causes COVID-19.

The CDC recommends that all seniors get COVID-19 vaccines. Seniors have two options: schedule a vaccination appointment and get the vaccine from a health facility or request an on-site vaccination. Note that they may experience a few side effects after getting the vaccine, but it will be beneficial in the long run.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) require senior living communities to upload COVID-19 vaccination data for their residents. Therefore, you must keep track of COVID-19 vaccination data for all seniors in your community.

Conclusion

Vaccine records are vital. It would be best to keep track of all seniors’ vaccinations in your senior living community. By doing so and keeping your information up to date, you can ensure the seniors get the vaccines they require and dodge potential complications from flu, COVID, & more.

Older Age & Coronavirus: Why Are Seniors At Risk?

People all over the world are worried about being infected with COVID-19. Statistics have shown that older adults aged 65 years and above are at a higher risk. The risk is even higher for older adults who live in care facilities since the rate of coronavirus transmission is much higher.

Note that by higher risk, we mean seniors are more likely to become critically ill and die due to COVID-19 infection. Although younger people can still catch COVID-19, their chances of hospitalization and death are much lower except in cases where the patient has health issues, e.g., high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. Most young people have mild flu-like symptoms. Some don’t have any symptoms at all.

Young and older adults alike should take the necessary precautions to avoid catching COVID-19. SARS CoV-2 infections have serious symptoms that can lead to hospitalization or death.

This article discusses the relationship between old age and the coronavirus. We will look at the reasons why seniors are at risk and how to protect them against infection.

Why seniors are at a high risk

As mentioned before, seniors are likely to become critically ill or die due to COVID-19. These are the three main reasons why seniors are more vulnerable.

1. They have a weakened immune system.

As people grow older, their immune system weakens. This explains why seniors have harsher symptoms even when they catch a cold. Likewise, seniors will get sicker from COVID-19 since their immune system isn’t effective enough to fight off the virus. Therefore, they are at a higher risk of hospitalization and death.

2. Underlying health issues

Most seniors have underlying issues that healthcare practitioners consider risk factors. They include: lung disease, diabetes, and heart disease.

Additionally, seniors who have undergone treatment for renal failure, cancer, liver disease, and high blood pressure are at a high risk of getting infected with the coronavirus.

3. Stress

Even though they may have limited interaction with other people, the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic can be quite stressful for seniors. Additionally, since seniors are vulnerable, they are likely to become stressed over possible infections. Stress can harm seniors’ immune systems, which makes them even more vulnerable.

How to protect older adults

Since the COVID-19 case is still prevalent, there is a need for us to protect older adults. The best way to go about this is to minimize interaction as much as possible. Older adults should only leave their homes if it is very necessary. However, limited interaction in and of itself, can cause stress because staying active and entertained is important to their well-being.

Here are a few pointers on how you can protect seniors so that they remain healthy.

Take the necessary precautions

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If you are a caregiver, you need to take the necessary precautions to avoid getting infected with the virus. These are some of the basic things you can do to stay safe:

 

Maintain social distance

Older adults have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Therefore, it would help if you lowered the risk by limiting your interaction with them.

Limiting interactions doesn’t necessarily mean that you keep them isolated. Remember that loneliness can harm older adults’ mental health and immunity. 

Check on them now and then without necessarily interacting with them through calls and social media.

Use technology to keep in touch

We all know that it can get rather lonely during this period. With minimized physical interactions, older adults will likely feel lonely. It would help if you taught them how to use technology to stay in touch. You can do this by:

 

Ensure they are vaccinated

COVID-19 vaccination plays a major role in reducing the risk of infection. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that older adults above 65 years of age get the COVID-19 vaccine. A recent peer reviewed study revealed that older adults who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine have a 94% reduced risk of being hospitalized due to complications related to the coronavirus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the COVID-19 delta variant, spreads faster and causes more infections than the earlier variants. Those infected with the delta variant are at a higher risk of hospitalization and death.

Therefore, unvaccinated people should consider getting the vaccine as soon as possible. Fully vaccinated people are half as likely to contract the deadly delta variant. Additionally, they are less likely to infect other people.

Older adults should also consider getting booster shots to strengthen their immunity. This way, their immune system can more easily fight off infections.

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Keep them occupied

It would be best to keep older adults entertained as they stay indoors. Buy them entertainment items like crossword books that will keep them occupied for an extended time. Stay away from board games since they involve a lot of contact. You could also keep them entertained with movies.

Monitor them for symptoms

It would be best if you always were on the lookout for any COVID-19 related symptoms. At the same time, tell seniors to inform you if they notice symptoms like shortness of breath, coughs, or fever. If they don’t have any symptoms, do not take them to the hospital. Minimize hospital visits as much as possible.

If the older adult has coronavirus symptoms, call a healthcare provider. Do not rush them to the ER unless the difficulty in breathing is severe. The healthcare provider will give you instructions on what to do next.

Conclusion

Seniors are at a higher risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus due to their weak immune systems, underlying conditions, and stress. Therefore, you must protect them at all times. Use the tips we have shared above to ensure that they stay healthy, happy, and entertained.