How To Take Good Care of Your Elders During the Covid-19 Outbreak
Although the COVID-19 outbreak has affected more young people than older adults, the elderly have proven more vulnerable. Their recovery rates are significantly lower because of their weakening immunity. With age, come many health challenges, and the COVID-19 is a particularly big problem for them. The only trick to the novel coronavirus is to ensure that you do not get it. Here are a few ways that you can care for your elder parents or grandparents during this time.
Let Them Know the Dangers
While some may have mental conditions that may make information ineffective, it is always good to talk to the person about the dangers. Mostly, you will speak to them about taking care of themselves. You can show them how to use a mask, how to sanitize, and how to self-diagnose.
The biggest challenge is elders who have trouble social distancing. Elders can insist on their extroverted ways. In this time of the outbreak, it is good to share with them the vulnerabilities and dangers of social interactions. Extroverts will not take it kindly to calls for social distancing.
Communication is the key to changing this. Your parent might not take you seriously if you are the son or family member. However, you can share with the person experiences in other parts of the country or world where older people are suffering.
Help Them Self-Isolate
Ensure that they have enough supplies for groceries and other essential items. Doing such a thing can keep them at home. If they have to go out there to buy supplies, the chances are that they will interact with many people, which is a risk. You can ensure that they receive their groceries on time so that they don’t have a reason to go out. Organizing deliveries and sanitizing the packages are also important. Show the person how to sanitize the package before handling it.
Keep Visitors Away
This is not a time to visit your elderly relatives. It is time to use telecommunication gadgets to talk to them and avoid interaction as much as possible. Ensure that the person is not hosting or is not hosted by another person during the lockdown. Exchanging pleasantries with a neighbor or delivery person should not be a significant risk, but the person should have the necessary protective gear. Professional caregivers at Arcare Aged Care believe that self-isolation is a risk for older people. Instead, they recommend that seniors should have a balance of some social life while still keeping safe. They recommend residential care where the person can always keep meaningful interactions while social distancing.
Use Technology Effectively
Talking to your elder relatives is not just a nice thing to do. You can gauge the person’s health condition whenever you are talking. You can use video calls and other routine calls where necessary. Now that you will not be visiting the person at this time, you should replace it with quality calls. However, do not intrude into the person’s private life. Always maintain a good distance so that the person can value your input.
When talking to the person, please note down their overall health conditions. If you notice evidence of weariness or illness, you can get more information from the person. You can book an appointment with the primary healthcare physician for a check-up. Look out for symptoms of dry cough, fever, runny nose, shortness of breath, and general body fatigue.
If the person gets scheduled healthcare appointments, you should talk to the caregiver about the dangers and the possibilities of moving care online. Telemedicine provides a safe avenue for the routine checks and renewal of prescriptions.
You may also want to look for spiritual avenues online since places of worship are closed. Such a streaming service can help bridge the gap and reduce the need to go out there. Joining online groups can also replace physical groups.
Help the Person Stay Active
Walking and going out there is discouraged because it can expose the person. However, it has become a necessary part of an older person's life. They use it as a way to keep themselves engaged and healthy. You can move this activity into the house or within the neighborhood. You can share with the person videos of home activities that they can do.
Ensure that you have followed the guidelines provided by the healthcare professionals. Also, ensure that your elderly relative is not isolated. He or she should not feel socially isolated. The physical isolation is imperative. Keep the person socially engaged through available communication technology.
