Influenza, or “the flu”, and its complications result in 226,000 hospitalizations and thousands of deaths in the average year. 90% of those who die are seniors.
Those statistics are why Senior Care Corner has been urging flu shots for senior loved ones each flu season. This year we decided to get help in communicating our message.
We were excited when we learned about the American Lung Association and their Faces of Influenza campaign. They provide a lot of straightforward educational information on their website, FacesofInfluenza.org.
Our Exciting Interview
Even more exciting, Kristi Yamaguchi and her mother, Carole, have joined the Faces of Influenza campaign and are using their voices to spread the word about the benefits of getting vaccinated. When offered the opportunity to interview one of them for our podcast, we thought Carole’s perspective as a mother, grandmother – and especially as a senior – made her perfect to help us spread the word.
We hope you’ll enjoy this episode of the Senior Care Corner podcast. Even more importantly, we hope you’ll act on it and urge your loved ones, especially those who are seniors, to get flu shots. We understand getting vaccinated is not for everyone; if there are questions about health implications we suggest consulting your doctor first.
This year more than ever, flu shots seem to be available everywhere – pharmacies, department stores, grocery stores and even traditional healthcare providers. One of the many resources Faces of Influenza has on their website is a flu vaccine finder.
Links Mentioned in this Episode
- Faces of Influenza
- More Than 50 Ways to Prevent Diabetes
- DNR & Other Advance Directives: What Families & Caregivers Need to Know (Part 1); (Part 2)
Podcast Transcript (so you can follow along or read at your convenience)