These are my experiences as a registered nurse caring for geriatric patients in a long-term & rehab care setting where I was the house supervisor responsible for up to 151 residents along with managing the second shift healthcare staff.

By now, you’ve probably had your temperature checked ad nauseam as you visit different locations. Yet, is checking the temperature of your elderly loved ones a good way to know if they may have COVID-19? Are you aware that according to Vital Signs in Older Patients: Age-Related Changes, “older patients are less able to mount a fever response.” Most of my geriatric patients did not have a fever when they contracted COVID-19, and most remained afebrile (without fever) through their stay in the COVID unit.

What’s a more reliable sign of potential COVID-19 infection in the elderly?