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Posted at: 11/05/2009 10:57 PM Long-Term Facilities Prepare for H1N1(ABC 6 NEWS) -- While it had been considered a young persons illness, the H1N1 virus is now appearing in the elderly population. Minnesota Department of Health Officials say that two long-term care facilities in the state have reported H1N1 outbreaks in the last couple weeks. But Margaret Nelson isn't worried about the H1N1 virus. She lives at the Madonna living community in Rochester with hundreds of other senior citizens. "They say older people are much less likely to get it and so we feel we're pretty safe here," Nelson says. And the facility's director of nursing, Sheila Erickson, says Nelson should feel safe, as all their health tests have been clear. "The ones that we've sent in that have had respiratory problems have not been positive for H1N1," Erickson says. But that doesn't mean they're not prepared. Assistant administrator Beth Redalen says they've distributed hand sanitizer and educated their staff about infection control. "Normally the H1N1 virus is not found in the elderly, they have certain immunities built up in their system from exposure in the 1950s, so we normally won't see this virus in our population, that's not saying it might mutate and hit our elderly," Redalen says. Officials aren't just worried about their residents; they also have to worry about visitors. They have posted signs at all of the entryways warning people not to come in if they have a fever. "We strongly encourage that if you are sick or have any flu-like symptoms that you do not visit our residents," Redalen says. With all of these precautions this group says its ready. "We always have a heightened set of awareness and feel comfortable that we can manage it should that arise," Redalen says. According to the CDC, people age 65 and older are less likely to be infected, but those that do become ill are at a greater risk of having serious complications.
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