Healthy Living Blog – COVID-19 safety in multigenerational households

About one-in-five, or 20%, of Americans live in multigenerational households. The Asian and Latinx populations are growing quickly because of immigration and are more likely than the white population to live with multiple generations of family members. From 2016 data, 29% of Asian/Pacific Islanders (APIs), 27% of Latinx people, and 26% of Black people lived in multi-generational homes. This way of living has benefits such as having social and financial support, shared meals, and built-in child care. But, COVID-19 concerns increases in this type of household because younger family members can spread the virus to older family members. Here are some tips for the “sandwich” generation (who take care of both their children and aging parents) to keep their household free from COVID-19.

Limit errands

• Choose one or two family members to run essential errands, which include grocery shopping and going for doctor’s appointments. These family members should be adults with less risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19.
• Wear a cloth face covering at all times, practice physical distancing, and avoid crowded areas.
• Choose to drive in your own car, walk, or bike to avoid close contact with others.
• If you have to take public transportation, keep a safe (6 feet) distance from others and run your errands during less busy times. Clean your hands as soon as you get off the bus.
• Wash your hands as soon as you return home.

Have an illness preparedness plan

This can look like the following:

• Separate family members who are sick. If you have a spare bedroom and bathroom, have sick members stay there.
• Keep a 6-feet distance between the person who is sick and other family members as much as possible.
• If the sick person is in a shared bedroom, put the beds 6 feet apart. You can put a divider or curtain in between the beds. Open all of the windows and turn on the fan for air circulation.
• If the sick person shares a bathroom with other family members, they should clean and disinfect the bathroom after each use.
• Sick family members should not prepare food or eat together with the family.

Have questions or curious to learn more? Please reach out to our Health Center and make an appointment to speak with a doctor. AACI provides services in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and many other languages. Call (408) 975-2763 to schedule your appointment today!