BootShopGirl Asked August 2019
Flu shot in Memory Care? Yes or No? Thoughts?
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Our Mom always said no to the flu shot. Don't know why but She never did for years. She even had that horrible Hong Kong flu and was out for days. She still talks and walks and knows me. Who am I to decide? Darn D.P.O.A. I have signed a do not resuscitate order already. Why prolong this awful dementia? Thoughts? So conflicted.
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It is an unfortunate fact that influenza spreads easily, and especially amongst unvaccinated people, and even more so in care facilities, where monitoring 'handwashing' of residents with dementia is just not a feasible reality.
To Debbie's question however, this is a tough decision for you to make. In her cognitive prime, your mother did not choose vaccination. Perhaps at that time she was able to use other methods to avoid infection, e.g., complementary and alternative medicine. But these would likely no long be available for her to choose.
You could consider making the decision based upon your mother's historical preference and circumstances, or you could make a choice based upon the best advice you can gather - that will take account of her risk of infection in a care facility (higher) and also the risk of her infecting others' loved ones in the facility if she does become ill (higher).
And we all need to remember that having a flu shot is no guarantee of avoiding the dreaded lurge.
I wish Debbie all the best in weighing the pros and cons, and you will make the best decision you can in choosing for your mother.
Please remember you can have the flu and not feel any symptoms until days later.... by then, you had already infected everyone around you who hasn't had the flu shot. I would hate to have been the one who made an elder deathly sick from the flu, or even a grandchild who didn't have his/her flu shot.
One thing I noticed with my parents, who lived to their mid-to-late 90's, they had been getting their flu shot every year for over 40 years. And for several decades did they volunteer work at a regional hospital 3 times a week. Not once did either parent ever had as much as the sniffles all those years.
I also do volunteer work at the same hospital, and I remembered back in the 2017-2018 flu season, the hospital had to set up beds and hospital recliners in the hallways for patients because there weren't enough rooms to handle everyone :(
That being said, she is at increased risk of getting flu AND passing it to others. My vote is to get her vaccinations. While at it, make sure her shingles and pneumonia vaccines are up to date for similar reasons.
Guess who was pleased and proud to tell everyone who would listen that she had her flu shot and didn't get sick at all last winter!
if you never get the flu shot and never get the flu this is not the year to start ( maybe you just have a good immune system)
There was a tale from family doctors' circles going way back - if your waiting room is crammed during a flu outbreak, you can sort the heavy colds from the flu by leaving a £20 note on the floor in front of your desk. The people with colds will bend down and pick it up. The ones with flu... won't.
I’ve worked for a LTC Pharmacy for 14yrs now, we provide medications to all LTC type facilities, when the flu hits a certain facility it’s Z-Packs for ALL, Zithromax, Azithromycin, not sure if the staff is required to take it or it’s a choice, very powerful and can have many side affects, we also provide the flu shots, that are sent out in mass, IMO have her get the shot, better safe than sorry.
((( HUGS )))
That's an interesting (and apt!) way of putting it!
My mother got a potent flu vaccine last year for seniors 65+. I got a different version for older people who weren't 65 yet. The point is, there are vaccines that are targeted to the older population.
I remember the NH asking me if my mother had gotten the flu and pneumonia vaccines, but it was for informational purposes only, as they were not required.
It does seem to make sense to try and protect the others at the facility, to include the all-important staff. As understaffed as facilities can get, why do anything that might cause even more of a staff shortage?
My mother was always "good" about getting her flu shots, and I continued her practice (didn't disagree with it, either). Then, when she was offered the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine, of course I snapped it up on her behalf. Hurrah! I thought; no dying from that kind of pneumonia for MY mother!
On sober reflection over more years, given the chance I think I'd think again about the pneumonia vaccine. As it happened it was never an issue, but I can't imagine that pneumonia would have been worse than what she did have to go through. I'm not sure it was a good use of resources or a rational decision.
It's as though we're barrelling down the road past "exit" signs, and avoiding them strenuously, only without looking ahead at what possibilities we might be left with.
Obviously, it isn't as though we get a clear-cut choice anyway - vaccination won't protect elderly immune systems 100%, not vaccinating doesn't mean you will get the disease, let alone that it will be fatal or cause lasting damage. But when we make such choices as we do have we are tinkering with the odds, and I just feel I could have thought through ours a bit more logically.
My husband and I have gotten a flu shot for years, and have never had a reaction from the shot - nor have we had the flu. We are out and about throughout the flu season - so we aren't just sitting at home.
The second year, I asked the MC administrator. She said that she did not care about the flu shot coverage ranking. (Her husband is a MD and she is a NP). She also cited how ineffective the flu shot is in the elderly.
There's not a right answer! If your NH requires the shot to live there, do it! If not and your mother would not, then don't. No big deal either way at this age.
But yes, because she is now living among other vulnerable people in a community and is therefore a potential vector for infection if she is not immunised.
So in one way you can't win ethically! - but then again, neither can you be wrong. It depends whether you want to be a model DPOA or a model citizen, and you have good arguments on both sides.
Sigh. Sorry, I'm not really helping, am I... :/
dying of complications from the flu is not pretty, and I'm not sure if you would want her on a mechanical ventilator or not, it's such a hard decision. DNR does not mean no care....these days, flu shot is standard care.
One time all visitors were banned for a week because several patient/residents had the flu. Signs are posted facility-wide, year round to not bring children who are experiencing colds, flues, or other symptoms. When my husband first entered the facility and they noticed I visited a lot, a nurse asked me if I was up to date on my vaccines. I told her I went to Walgreens because it had a 2 for 1 offer - for each vaccine purchased/administered one vaccine is donated to a member of the community who can not afford the shot.
I understand not wanting to keep Mom alive with dementia and of course she would not want it either. It is heart wrenching to watch family members go through the mental/physical decline.
Your mom can not think things through the way she used to. You, as the DPOA are also working with a team of providers who also have to stay healthy. Of course you need to stay healthy so you can endure this whole sorry situation for everyone in your family. I hope Mom gets vaccinated.
I see nothing wrong with everyone getting vaccinated because it's not just all about you, me, my husband, your mom, or staff and visitors.