Homemade chicken soup, creamy soups and broths, plenty of fluids, and an extra dose of love. I'm not a doctor, but you know what they say about colds: "Treat it, it lasts 7 days. Leave it alone, it lasts a week." More pills aren't the best answer, but you can treat the symptoms with natural remedies that are right in your own home.
I swear by Emergencee, a high dose of various vitamins in packets when added to water fizzes. It has worked on three of us and seriously shortened the length of a cold.
Most elderly people suffer from dehydration. As Eddie says above, plenty of fluids is always good for colds. Also a number of supplements like Vitamin C help. But in order for all of these natural remedies to work, you need to check to see that any drugs that your dad is taking may not be contributing to the problem. When my mom was on HBP pills, she developed a very serious sounding cough. We thought it was a cold but the nursing home that she was in (she no longer is there, we took her home) kept ignoring our concerns. We later found out that they kept ignoring our concerns because they knew that the HBP pills were the cause of her cough. Once we had our mom home and stopped all of her drugs and switched her to a number of supplements including supplements to improve her immune system, etc, the coughing cleared up and she doesn't catch colds anymore.
If he is taking other medications and you want to give him something to soothe a cough or sore throat check with his pharmacist to make sure it won't react with any prescription meds he is taking. if he starts to cough up green or bloody sputum he should be seen by a Dr ASAP. If you use any herbal supliments be sure they also do not adversely interact with prescription meds. Tylenol can be given to reduce a fever. honey and lemon in hot water is very soothing to the throat. Inhaling the steam from a bowl of hot water helps with congestion. Make sure dad is up to date with his flu and pneumonia shots. he only needs the pneumonia every ten years but the flu is annual A simple cold can turn into a very serious illness in the frail elderly.
My mother's blood pressure is dong a lot better than it was while she was on HBP pills (mostly beta blockers). It is much lower and more stable. Even her lab work is better now that she takes NO toxic prescription drugs. You have to remember that the US medical system is the THIRD leading cause of death (Starfield Study, JAMA, 2000) and that over 100,000 people die every year due to taking drugs as prescribed by their doctors. This is what I keep in mind at all times and this is why it is so easy for me to question and distrust all prescribed drugs.
I agree with alot of previous answers. One point I do need to add and not to scare you, that you have to keep watch for any change of behavior. If you find you dad behavior change liked he may think his mom/dad alive etc, thats the sign of dehydration and infection such as pneumomia. He must go to hospital immediatly or speak to his doctor right away. Plently of fluids is best to treat his cold and by the end of the week, he will be good as new.
There is no medication that will cure a cold. Do not give him anything with an antihistamine in it as it blocks acetylecholine which he needs to have (it is a neurotransmitter in the brain). Lots of hot chicken soup has great research behind it, lots of sleep and wait. Seven to ten days is the typical duration. Antibiotics will not help a virus, but if he has a sinus infection that would. Talk to his doctor. Stay well and get a flu vaccine.
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