By Guest Blogger Aniya Paige
Harsh but necessary physical distancing measures have made it harder for people to stay connected with one another. And while these restrictions are affecting everyone, especially at risk of isolation are the older adults who live in retirement homes or far away from their families. With that in mind, the question we need to be asking is how can we ensure that the older members of our society stay connected with the outside world in this time of mandatory isolation?
There’s an App for That
In fact, there are several apps that can allow people to stay in touch. From social media and online video conferencing apps, to delivery apps that can allow you to remotely send food and other essentials, there’s no shortage of ways to keep in touch when you have a smartphone and web access. You can even get creative by having your own care package delivered to the older adults in your life. As we tackled in ‘Supporting Older Adults and Their Caregivers’, this care package can include everything from individually wrapped snacks and books to puzzles and board games – as long as they can be disinfected, you can send them to anyone in need of some extra love. Meanwhile, apps like Zoom, Skype, or even just Facebook can also help a lot in staying connected in this time of physical distancing.
Establish Communication Lines
Given the availability of apps that we’ve just mentioned, staying in touch these days can be just a matter of finding the right Facebook groups or organizations with an online presence. University of Virginia geriatric specialist Laurie Archbald-Pannone explains many organizations are in need of volunteers to make phone calls and send emails for those who are isolated. Whether it’s political organizations, non-profits, faith-based groups, or government support programs, there’s no shortage of online groups in need of extra digital hands to help keep older adults connected. If you have some free time and can be of help, please do sign up.
Establish a Buddy System
Encourage those who are at risk of illness or those who live alone to have a buddy that can check up on them or help them with anything they need. The CDC advises seeking out a buddy for the most vulnerable members of society and you can be this buddy yourself. Establish specific times of the day to call your assigned buddy just to stay in touch and talk about anything – even the simplest gestures can mean a lot in these uncertain times. If everyone with the resources to help takes care of at least one older adult, then we can greatly ease the daily work of our medical front liners.
Simply being there for each other is more important now than ever before, as the uncertainty of the world’s current predicament is underscored and further complicated by an impending healthcare shortage. Even before 2020, Maryville University reported that the American healthcare industry would be short of 100,000 primary care physicians by 2025 – a scarcity that will be more pronounced in inner-city communities and rural areas. This is why it’s important to help however we can – including not letting the older members of our society get isolated during this truly challenging time for everyone. The more we can ensure the physical and mental health of older adults and others in need, the more likely we are to come out of this predicament intact as a society.
To make sure you never miss out on any of our great tips and resources make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
