Protecting Your Senior Parent From C. Diff

Posted on by Emily Kil

Keeping your senior parent safe from diseases and infections is a truly important task. Indeed, we all need to protect ourselves from diseases and infections of different types, including something called C. diff, which you may not have heard of or understand. In this article, we provide some basic information about C. diff and how you can help your senior mother or father stay safe from this type of bacteria.

What Is C. Diff?

We begin our discussion by considering the basics of C. diff., or Clostridioides difficile, a bacterium that can cause serious health issues in hospitalized persons or taking antibiotics. It is the leading cause of diarrhea in hospitals and long-term care facilities in the United States. If your senior parent is a resident of an assisted living community, memory center, or nursing home, you need to be particularly on guard to ensure that he or she is protected from exposure. It can also cause other serious complications, such as severe abdominal pain, fever, dehydration, and even death.

The C. diff bacterium is found naturally in the environment, which means anyone can be exposed to them through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. When a person takes antibiotics, it can disrupt their normal gut flora, allowing the C. diff bacteria to take over and produce toxins that cause inflammation in the intestines and lead to diarrheal illness.

People most at risk for C. diff infection include those who are elderly or have weakened immune systems due to health conditions like cancer. Those senior women and men taking antibiotics are also more susceptible to a C. diff infection than those who have recently been hospitalized. As we also noted a moment ago, seniors residing in assisted living communities, memory centers, and nursing homes are at a notably higher risk of being exposed to C. diff. (As an aside, infants can also be at risk for C. diff infection if their mothers took antibiotics during pregnancy or childbirth.)

Symptoms of a C. Diff Infection

Clostridioides difficile or C. diff infection symptoms range from mild to severe and require prompt medical attention to prevent further complications. The most common symptoms associated with C. diff are:

  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal cramping
  • Bloating
  • Fever
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

In more severe cases, the infection can cause:

  • Dehydration
  • Confusion
  • Dizziness
  • Low blood pressure
  • Rapid heart rates
  • Sepsis
  • Systemic shock

In some cases, seniors (and others) may also experience pseudomembranous colitis or PMC, a condition that causes colon inflammation caused by the bacteria’s toxin-producing strain. Symptoms of PMC include:

  • Bloody stools with mucus
  • Watery stools that contain pus or small amounts of blood in them
  • Rectal tenesmus (an urgent feeling that one must have a bowel movement but is unable to do so without excruciating pain)

It is important to note that not everyone with C. diff will show signs or symptoms of PMC. However, those who do should seek immediate medical attention as this can signify an extremely serious infection. This is particularly important for seniors.

It is also critical to recognize the risk factors that increase one’s chances of developing a C. diff infection. In addition, knowing these risk factors can help provide insight into how the infection may have been contracted in the first place. Risk factors include:

  • Recent antibiotic use
  • Age over 65 years old
  • Being hospitalized
  • Living in long-term care facilities, such as assisted living communities, memory centers, nursing homes

If you believe your senior parent (or even you) may have been exposed or think you may be exhibiting any signs or symptoms associated with C. Diff infection, it is important to contact a primary care physician immediately. Your parent’s doctor (or your own, if you feel you may have been exposed to this bacterium) will be able to assess your parent’s condition further and provide appropriate diagnosis and treatment. 

How to Prevent a C. Diff Infection

Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to reduce the risk of your senior parent getting a C. diff infection. The most important step is regularly washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When out and about, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to kill bacteria on your skin is a decent alternative to comprehensive hand washing.

It is also important to avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, especially near your nose and mouth, which could help prevent the bacteria from entering your body. Additionally, it is best to clean surfaces that may have come into contact with someone with a C. diff infection by using diluted bleach solutions or other disinfectants labeled as effective against C. diff spores on hard surfaces like countertops and doorknobs.

If you’re visiting a healthcare facility, including an assisted living community, ask staff about their hygiene and cleaning procedures policies. This will help ensure that infection control measures are being followed properly. Additionally, if you’re taking antibiotics or steroids for any reason, talk to your doctor about the potential effects these medications may have on the balance of bacteria in your gut. Antibiotics, in particular, may increase the risk of developing a C. diff infection by simultaneously killing beneficial and harmful bacteria in the gut microbiome.

It’s also important for your senior mother or father to get regular medical check-ups. Early diagnosis of a C. diff infection can be lifesaving since treatment options become more limited when the condition progresses further and becomes harder to treat successfully. Keep in mind that, left untreated, a C. diff infection can be fatal in some cases due to severe diarrhea and dehydration associated with it.

Moreover, if you experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, or frequent diarrhea after starting a course of antibiotics or after visiting a healthcare facility (especially one where multiple patients have tested positive for C. diff), make sure to inform your doctor immediately so they can assess whether further testing is necessary based on your recent activities and exposure history. Do not wait until symptoms become worse before seeking help.

By following these simple steps, you and your senior parent can significantly reduce the risk of a C. diff infection. The importance of these steps bears repeating, despite being discussed a moment ago:

  • Wash hands regularly with soap and water.
  • Alternatively, use an alcohol-based sanitizer if you cannot wash your hands at any particular moment.
  • Refrain from touching one’s face without washing one’s hands first.
  • Clean surfaces that may have come into contact with someone diagnosed with C. diff.
  • Talk to a doctor about possible side effects of antibiotics and steroid use.
  • Get regular check-ups.
  • Inform one’s doctor promptly when experiencing C. diff-related symptoms.

Why Are Seniors More at Risk for a C. Diff infection?

Seniors are more likely than the general population to contract a C. diff infection due to weakened immune systems and overall health susceptibility. Research has found that seniors aged 65 years or older account for up to 80 percent of all C. diff-associated diarrhea and colitis cases.

One primary reason why seniors are more at risk for contracting a C. diff infection is that many have already weakened immune systems due to age-related conditions such as diabetes or cancer; this puts them at a higher risk for developing an infection from outside sources such as foodborne illnesses or contact with others who carry the bacteria on their skin or in their intestines. Other factors that increase seniors’ risk include:

  • Taking multiple medications, including antibiotics which can disrupt the gut microbiota
  • Being hospitalized for extended periods
  • Not having access to proper sanitation facilities
  • Living in another long-term care facility (assisted living community, memory center, nursing home) where infections can easily spread
  • Having multiple chronic illnesses that compromise overall health status

In addition to weakened immunity, seniors are more likely than younger populations to be prescribed antibiotics which can reduce the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut allowing room for potentially harmful bacteria such as C. diff to take hold and cause an active infection. To make matters worse, seniors only show symptoms once they have had prolonged exposure making it difficult to diagnose without extensive testing procedures such as stool cultures or blood draws.

It is important for those caring for elderly loved ones – whether family members or professionals – to understand the risks associated with weaker immune systems so steps can be taken early to reduce their chances of contracting a C. diff infection. These include:

  • Limiting antibiotic use unless necessary
  • Practicing proper hygiene protocols such as washing hands frequently and using disposable gloves when dealing with bodily fluids
  • Staying away from people who are currently infected
  • Monitoring diet closely while avoiding foods that may contain live bacteria
  • Making sure surrounding surfaces (including bedding) are regularly disinfected
  • Consuming probiotics regularly to maintain healthy gut flora balance
  • Getting vaccinated against common illnesses like influenza annually
  • Exercising regularly to improve overall health status
  • Drinking plenty of water throughout the day so the body stays hydrated enough to fight off germs naturally through increased white blood cell production
  • Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables

How C. Diff Infections Are Treated

Treatment for a C. diff infection will depend upon the severity of the infection but typically consists of either antibiotics or a fecal microbiota transplant (FMT). For milder cases of C. diff infection where symptoms are mild or non-existent, doctors may recommend supportive therapies such as probiotics, anti-diarrheal medications, and dietary changes to help restore beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome. In cases where more aggressive treatment is necessary to reduce toxins and clear up the infection faster, antibiotics are typically used as this is effective in reducing symptoms within two weeks in most cases.

When antibiotic treatment has failed, or recurrence is highly likely, doctors may recommend FMT as an alternative treatment option for C. diff infections. Through this treatment, fecal matter from a healthy donor is transplanted into the gut through an enema or ingestion via capsules containing freeze-dried stool material from a donor’s stool sample. This form of therapy is generally considered safe. It introduces new bacterial strains into the colon, which may help restore balance in the gut microbiome and reduce symptoms associated with C. diff infection, including recurrent diarrhea, which often persists even after antibiotic treatment has ended due to persistent C. diff spores present in stool samples after initial treatments have been completed. FMT helps flush out these spores so that patients can recover fully from their condition without high recurrence risk after leaving hospital care. In conclusion, it is important to stress the necessity of being vigilant in lowering the risk of your senior parent becoming exposed to the C. diff bacterium. When it comes to this type of infection, prevention is the best cure.