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For Immediate Release
May 6, 2009
For Further Information:
Erin Weller
(212) 308-1414
eweller@americangeriatrics.org
To Reassure Older Adults and Caregivers Concerned About H1N1 Flu ("Swine Flu")
And Help Them Understand How to Protect Against and Respond to it,
American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging
Issues Easy-to-Understand Expert Tip Sheet
New York, NY - For older adults -- who are typically at greatest risk of complications from influenza -- the 2009 H1N1 flu ("swine flu") epidemic may be particularly worrisome and confusing.
To reassure older people and their caregivers that there's no reason to panic - most cases of the H1N1 flu in the US are mild - and help them understand both how to protect themselves from the flu, and what to do if they suspect they have it, the American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging has released an easy-to-understand expert "tip sheet" - "What Older Adults and Their Caregivers Need to Know About the 2009 H1N1 Flu ("Swine Flu")".
The tip sheet explains that many of the things older adults and caregivers already know about the seasonal flu that strikes the United States each winter also apply to the H1N1 flu. The H1N1 flu, like seasonal flu, spreads from person to person through sneezing, coughing, and direct contact with a sick person, the tip sheet notes. Typical symptoms of the H1N1 flu are also similar to those of the seasonal flu - coughing, sore throat, stuffy nose, fatigue, chills, body aches, headache and fever.
The tip sheet goes on to explain how older adults and their caregivers can lower their risks of contracting the flu - by washing hands or using an alcohol-based hand gel frequently, for example. It offers advice on when to call your or your older loved one's healthcare provider and describes treatment, including the use of the antiviral drugs TamifluŽ and RelenzaŽ. It also discusses possible complications, including bronchitis and pneumonia and explains that these pose an increased risk to older people. The tip sheet explains how long to stay home if you have the flu - and why it's particularly important to defer visits to older friends and family members until you're no longer contagious. And it suggests that older adults planning to travel notify their healthcare providers, who may recommend that they take the antiviral drugs TamifluŽ or RelenzaŽ before departing.
The tip sheet is the latest in a series of easily understood senior health tip sheets published by the AGS' Foundation for Health in Aging. The series, at http://www.healthinaging.org/public_education/latest_tip_sheets.php, can be downloaded, printed, and shared at no cost.
ABOUT THE FHA
In 1999, the American Geriatrics Society reached beyond its traditional role as a professional medical society and launched the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA). The FHA aims to build a bridge between geriatrics health care professionals and the public, and advocate on behalf of older adults and their special needs: wellness and preventive care, self-responsibility and independence, and connections to family and community. The FHA champions initiatives in public education, clinical research, and public policy that advance the principles and practice of geriatrics medicine; educate policy makers and the public on the health care needs and concerns of older adults; support aging research that reduces disability and frailty, and improves quality of life and health outcomes; encourage older adults to be effective advocates for their own health care; and help family members and caregivers take better care of their older loved ones and themselves.
ABOUT THE AGS
Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (www.americangeriatrics.org) is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of all older people. The Society supports this mission through activities in clinical practice, professional and public education, research, and public policy. With an active membership of over 6,500 health care professionals, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies, and practices in geriatric medicine.
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