Caring for a Senior with an Ear Infection

April 13, 2016 by

Home Care in Guelph

Having an ear infection can be a truly miserable situation, but in the context of your home care journey with your aging parent it can be even more impactful. The pain of an ear infection can beHome-Care-in-Guelphsevere, leading to your parent not wanting to eat or not wanting to be involved in any activities. Any period of inactivity can be detrimental to your parent’s health and quality of life. An ear infection can also compromise your parent’s balance, diminishing mobility and increasing fall risk. Caring for a parent with an ear infection is important for both easing the pain and misery, and protecting her from the possible devastating consequences that can occur.

 

Use these tips to help you care for a senior with an ear infection:

  • Get help. Though ear infections themselves are generally not serious, it is still important that your parent gets plenty of rest. This will help your body fight off the infection and get stronger. Getting enough rest, however, means having help to handle daily tasks. An in home health care services provider can step in and be there for your parent when you are not able to be, ensuring that she gets the care, support, and assistance that she needs throughout her recovery period.
  • Use warmth. Warmth can be incredibly soothing for easing pain and the sensation of fullness in the ear. Try applying a heating pad or hot water bottle to the ear, or having your parent lie down on such a device for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also apply heat through filling a sock with rice and heating it in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute and applying it to the ear or the soft place behind the ear.
  • Massage the ear. Apply gentle pressure with your fingertips to the soft place behind the ears. Massage gently in circular motions, periodically changing direction. This is not only soothing, but can actually help hasten recovery. Massaging the ear can help to loosen the infected fluid within the ear and encourage it to flow out of the ear so that the ear can heal.
  • Drink plenty of fluids. Getting enough fluid will keep the infected fluid that is inside the ear looser, enabling it to move more easily and reducing the full feeling.
  • Ask about drops. There are many different natural drops available that are designed specifically to treat ear infections and ear pain. One popular example is sweet oil. These oils go directly into the ear canal of the affected ear or are put on a cotton ball and placed at the front of the canal. The oil then works to ease pain, fight inflammation, and kill bacteria within the ear that is infected.
  • Take all medication. Most ear infections are mild and will clear up on their own within a few days. If your parent is in severe pain, has pus drainage, or has been experiencing symptoms for more than a day or two, bring her to the doctor. If she gets prescribed antibiotics, make sure that she takes all of them for the course of the treatment, not just until she feels better. This will ensure that they fully kill the infection and not allow it to return.

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Guelph, contact the caring professionals at Staff Relief Health Care 24/7 at 905.709.1767.

 

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ear-infection/ear-infections-home-treatment

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