Cloth face masks are something that some businesses are going to require of customers moving forward as the coronavirus pandemic shifts a little more. You and your senior need to be aware of some of the details that help to make these masks effective.
You Don’t Need an N95 Mask
A lot of people are wondering if an N95 mask is a good thing to have on hand. But these are in short supply and are needed elsewhere, particularly by medical professionals. An N95 mask is not going to do anything more for the average person than a cloth face mask can do.
Wearing a Face Mask in Public Is a Good Practice
It’s good practice for your senior to wear a cloth face mask in public, unless she’s unable to for a medical reason. People with lung issues, such as COPD, often find that even a thin, lightweight cloth mask is difficult to breathe through at all because it limits airflow just a bit too much. If that’s the case for your senior, she may want to forego a face mask. Masks should be washed in a washing machine as soon as your senior takes hers off.
There Are Multiple Benefits of Wearing a Mask
Wearing a mask does help your elderly family member to remember not to touch her face, which is incredibly important. The CDC has stressed that wearing a mask does not replace social distancing and hand washing. It can, however, prevent people from spreading the virus if they have already been exposed and are asymptomatic. If most people are wearing face coverings, that helps to keep those germs contained, at least a little.
It’s Easy to Make Your Own Mask
The Surgeon General has a video sharing how to make a cloth face mask easily from items that your senior may have on hand already. There are also patterns available online if you or your senior can sew. If neither of those options are available, there are plenty of ways to obtain cloth face masks. Some dry cleaners and alteration shops are sewing them for the public, for instance. There may be something similar going on in your neck of the woods.
Dealing with Fogged-up Glasses
Wearing glasses presents an entirely different problem in the form of fogged-up lenses. One way around this is to use a face mask that has a metal nose wire. This allows your senior to mold the mask to her nose and block air from traveling up to her lenses. Another method involves folding a tissue in half lengthwise and putting it at the top of the mask, inside the mask. The tissue absorbs warm air from breathing and keeps the lenses from fogging.
If you can’t be there with your senior to help her with her cloth face mask, it might be a good idea to hire senior care providers. They can ensure that your senior knows how to use her cloth face mask and they can help her to take care of them properly.
If you or someone you know needs hiring a Elder Care in Fairmont, MN, contact Adara Home Health Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services for many fragile or senior members in the communities we serve.
Call us at (888) 660-5772 for more information.