Okay I know the title of this post sounds stupid, but can kids honestly be dangerous to the elderly? This reason I ask is because of my aunt.

My aunt is 67 years old, and she has been sick for the past three weeks. She started off with what seemed like a cold, but it quickly escalated. Now she has a bad cough, diminished hearing in one ear, blisters on her upper lip, and a bloodshot eye. Her fever has also been in the 100-102 degree range for the past two weeks. I think the lowest it's gotten is 99.3.

She already went to see a doctor, but the meds don't seem to be doing the trick :( . It's really scary since she's always been a pretty healthy lady, up til a few months ago. It was during this time that she began to work for a young couple with three kids: Two toddler girls and a newborn baby boy. This is where things have gotten sticky. My aunt keeps getting cold after cold, much like the kids grandma(who my aunt also works for)

At the beginning of April, the oldest girl got sick, and her siblings followed suit. In fact the middle girl is so sick that she went to the hospital. Her mom has been with her in the hospital, leaving my aunt to care for the baby. Well the baby is also sick, and he has a fever, coughing, and an earache. This was three weeks ago. Well after that exposure, my aunt caught what she thought was a cold, but has gone downhill.

I honestly think my aunt must have caught whatever it is that the kids have. I don't think she should work for these people as well. Unfortunately she likes the job since she's gotten attached to the kids. Yet the kids mom and dad are complete dingbats(yes you heard me!) who don't give the kids proper food(they feed them mostly junk food), so the poor little things are always sick. :( So if things keep on going they way they are, those kids will keep getting sick month after month.

Does anyone else think that it truly is possible that my aunt keeps getting sick due to these kids? And can their poor nutrition play a part in the fact that they're always sick? (I don't have kids, so I'm honestly not sure how often kids get sick).

Good heavens, yes! Kids can be hotbeds of disease, and so can a new environment with different people coming in and out. My sister-in-law (young and healthy) had to give up teaching because the recurrent bronchitis she kept developing hospitalized her several times. It sounds like your aunt has more than just a cold, BTW.
If she's going to continue to work there, her first, best defense is to wash her hands thoroughly and often. Lather for a slow count of 20, and rinse with hands pointing down to the drain. She needs to consider the fact that everything she touches, from doorhandls and drawer handles to furniture, the kids, handrails, etc. are breeding grounds for disease causing bacteria.
Other than that, I have no suggstions except to change jobs.
But yes - kids can compromise anyone's health.

Children absolutely make adults get sick more-if your aunt's health is really in jeopardy, she should stop working for that family. If she really wants to work for them, she could always go to extremes and wear gloves all the time or something. It sounds silly, but it'd cut back on germs!

Most certainly, yes! Kids being kids, their defense systems are still being built up, so they're always more prone to picking up sicknesses (and thus, they begin to build up their immunities). And unless you have a kick-ass immune system yourself, you're most likely going to pick up what they have, as well.

The teachers in my kids' preschool are constantly sick -- it just rotates from class to class.

As for the kids y0ur aunt it watching, their diet is sure to have an effect 0n their health. That's not t0 say that if they ate the healthiest diet in the world that they w0uldn't get sick, but they'd stand a better fighting chance if they had the proper nutrients and all that go0d stuff in their bodies.

I wish a speedy recovery for y0ur aunt, and would pr0bably encourage her t0 look for something else as far as employment g0es.

(*sorry f0r the stupid "o" pr0blems ... my "o" key is sticking and have to use zer0s ... ugh :mad:)

Ahh I guess I was kind of on the right track then. I know this may seem misdirected, but I'm honestly pissed off at the kids mom. We're both the same age(26 yrs old), but she honestly isn't ready for kids!

After all according to my aunt, she's really lazy, and doesn't ever cook. Instead she'll feed her kids things like chips, Hostess snack cakes, diced deli meats(think Oscar Meyer bologna...), and good ol' Mickey D's! :mad: She's' also pretty lax when it comes to keeping the kids eating places and utensils dirty (e.g. she won't clean their high chair after each meal). They also have two persian cats that they keep indoors. What poor kid wouldn't get sick in these conditions?

What truly infuriates me is that this woman actually wants another kid! This is disturbing since she's a stay at home mom, yet she doesn't take care of the kids she already has. It's almost as if though she's saying "I want another kid", in the same way a child would say "I want a hamster". Her husband is also no help, since he works at a lawfirm, and is always busy with his cases.

So far we're trying to convince my aunt to either quit the job, or start wearing surgical masks to work. She'd also have to do the same when she goes to work at the kids grandma's house, since they sometimes drop them off there when my aunt is working. *sighs* I'm sorry about the rant, but I'm seriously worried about my aunt right now :(

(*sorry f0r the stupid "o" pr0blems ... my "o" key is sticking and have to use zer0s ... ugh :mad:)

You know what LipstickChick? Your zany "0"s actually put a smile on my face for the first time in days. I'm seriously stressed out about this and school right now:o

Awww, I'm glad my technical problems put a smile 0n your face l0l! It seems ever other o works l0l.

And yeah ... that woman s0unds like she has some things t0 fix before ever considering having another child :-/. They're not things t0 collect, f0r cryin' out l0ud. They're PEOPLE. :rolleyes:

Much luck to y0ur aunt!

Is she working at their house? Maybe it's the house that's making her/them sick? Could be mold?

Yes she does work at the house, but I honestly don't think its mold. After all the kids mom and dad are never really sick at all. The only ones who seem to be getting sick are the kids, their grandmother(who's also in her 60s), and my aunt.

I feel so sorry for those children's poor bodies, living on junk food like that!:( :eek: Growing up with a lot of siblings we were surprisingly not sick very often. My mom cooked homemade meals, kept the house clean and sanitary, and we washed our hands frequently. Maybe these kids need to wash their hands more as well? Maybe bringing a can of Lysol disinfectant spray for door knobs and such may be helpful also. HTHS!