Bob Roth
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For some of us, a stay at home mandate offers a great opportunity to get closer to our family members, partners and roommates. However, for many that are living alone, a time like this can make for an extremely lonely existence. Did you know that approximately 33% of our elderly population (65+) lives home alone? According to Joseph Coughlin and the MIT Age Lab this number may eclipse the 50% mark over the next 15 years. Loneliness is a significant challenge with this pandemic, and with our older adult population this can be extremely dangerous. How do we keep them engaged? How do we ensure they are getting what they need? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges that we all practice self-isolation and social distancing to protect ourselves. However, the same isolation that could save the elderly from coronavirus could also have a dramatically negative effect. A 2015 study found that prolonged isolation can have the same impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
The emphasis for social distancing should be centered on the word “social.” How do we keep our aging loved ones engaged? So many are feeling socially disconnected.
Here are 9 things you can do to keep your aging loved ones, neighbors and friends from feeling isolated.
- Help with keeping them socially engaged
Check in regularly. If they are comfortable using technology, you can video conference with Facetime or Zoom, or simply send text messages and emails. Sometimes nothing beats the old-fashioned practice of picking up the phone and giving them a call. If you’re cooking, make a little extra and offer a dish to them; put it in a disposable container, use a disinfectant wipe to sanitize the outside of the container, and leave a thoughtful note.
- Help with food and essentials
Lots of nonperishable items have disappeared from stores, especially hand sanitizers and toilet paper. Consider shopping for them while doing your own, or help them set up a revolving delivery from the grocery store.
- Help with medications
Offer to pick up prescriptions or set up ongoing delivery. In some cases you can order prescriptions in 90-day quantities to eliminate the need to worry about running out. Many of our seniors have trouble remembering to take medications; you can ask the pharmacy to pre-package medications in blister packs with designations for morning and evening. You can also call to remind them to take their medications.
- Help with health care appointments
It is amazing how many medical practices have embraced the use of either phone or video conference appointments (telehealth). This is a safe way to visit your doctor during the pandemic. If you are a family member or have power of attorney for medical decision-making, you could also participate in these appointments. Should the older person urgently need an in-person evaluation, phone ahead for them, report symptoms and ask for instructions as to next steps.
- Engage the grandchildren
With schools closed for the time being, your children could help an older adult learn something new about today’s technology, whether it be a laptop or a TV remote. Or they might send emails to grandparents or elderly neighbors to chat about what they’re doing, or ask them to participate online in virtual classrooms, symphonies or museums. Best of all, your children could use this time to record some family history.
- Connect with trusted organizations
Remote-volunteer for local organizations serving older adults. Many of these agencies, stretched thin, may prefer financial support. Many provide meals for seniors and are delivering during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Consider helping out by purchasing pre-paid gas cards to support the drivers.
- For dementia care partners
If you know someone caring for a person with dementia, reach out to them. Many of them occasionally use adult day care, but during this outbreak these facilities are now unavailable. Any support groups they normally attend might not be in session either, and the lack of services may increase their stress. Assist them by setting up phone or video conferencing with other dementia care partners to strategize on ways to cope.
- Encourage activity
While some of our aging loved ones may be isolated in their own homes, this does not preclude them from moving. If they are watching television, they can get up during every commercial and do an active chore. If possible, taking a walk outside is a great way to stay active and enjoy the benefits of fresh air and sunshine.
- Go on a news diet
Stay informed and know what’s going on but don’t get locked into endlessly watching “breaking news” on the 24-hour news channels. Typically, not much changes hour to hour. But enduring the repetitious pummeling from TV all day long can bring needless anxiety. Watch a news update in the morning, then check in again at night. Don’t stay with it all evening — 30 minutes or an hour is plenty.
About the Author
Bob Roth is Managing Partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions. Bob assisted in creating Cypress HomeCare Solutions with his family in 1994. With nearly 35 years of consumer products, health care and technology experience, Bob has successfully brought the depth and breadth of his experience to the home care trade and in doing so, Cypress HomeCare Solutions has been honored to receive a number of awards over the years. Bob hosts a radio show called “Health Futures, Taking Stock in You.” This program airs every Friday from Noon to 1:00 pm on Money Radio 1510 AM, 105.3 FM. In addition, he writes a monthly column called “Aging Today” for the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, and Lovin Life after 50 newspapers. In March 2017 Bob was appointed to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. In 2019 Bob was selected the winner for the Home Health Care News Future Leader Award - Recognizing up-and-coming leaders elevating the home health industry.
