The Flu: Caring for Someone Sick at Home

( From http://www.cdc.gov/flu/homecare/index.htm ) 

Learn what you can do to help your family this flu season.

5 steps to take if you get the flu

1. Stay at home and rest.
2. Avoid close contact with well people in your house so you won’t make them sick.
3. Drink plenty of water and other clear liquids to prevent fluid loss (dehydration).
4. Treat fever and cough with medicines you can buy at the store.
5. If you get very sick, are pregnant, or have a medical condition that puts you at high risk of flu-related complications (like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), call your doctor. You might need antiviral drugs to treat flu.

Make a Sick Room

• Make a Sick Room, if You Can
• Follow the Sick Room Rules
• How to Clean the Sick Room
• Tips for Caregivers

Prevent Fluid Loss

• Tips to Prevent Fluid Loss (Dehydration)
• Check for Fluid Loss
• When to Get Medical Help for Fluid Loss

Medicine Safety

• Medicine Safety
• Medicine Safety and Children

Treat Symptoms

• Treat Fever
• Treat Dry Cough
• Treat Other Flu Symptoms