Alison Chisholm, a home care nurse in New York, came down with the flu a week after getting a flu shot. “It was so bad, my toenails were hurting. I had no appetite. I couldn’t move, I was so sore. I knew it was the flu because I’m not a sickly person. I’ve never felt like that for 30 years,” she said in an article in the New York Times.
When Ms. Chisholm called her elderly patient to let her know what was going on, the patient urged her not to visit. “I don’t want to get what you have,” she said.
If someone who is typically healthy is hit hard by the flu, imagine how dangerous it is for someone 30 years older. Understandably, the more vulnerable elderly people in nursing homes fear contracting the flu.
Flu Dangers Are Magnified for the Elderly
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that for the week ending January 5, 2013, the hospitalization rate of people aged 65 and older with flu-like symptoms was 53.4 per 100,000. This is
- nearly double the 29.3 per 100,000 from the previous week
- three times the rate at the same time last flu season
- more than twice the rate for children from birth to age four
Has Your Loved One Been Injured in a Nursing Home?
If you believe your loved one is being subjected to nursing home abuse you need to speak with an experienced Kentucky nursing home neglect attorney as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our office directly at 888.450.4456 to schedule a free consultation.