Being an elderly in Covid-19: the epidemic of social isolation & engaging activities to counter it
Amidst the exponential spread of Covid-19 various jarring scenarios have unfolded in front of our eyes, presenting a larger picture of the somewhat broken healthcare system and its inadequacies to cater to the ageing and socio-economically backward section of our society. While the lines were always blurred when it came to the elderly in terms of resources, senior care services, support, uplifting schemes available to them, but the pandemic has jolted the nation awake to the blaring pleas of the seniors who are often deemed and treated as a liability.
Impact of the pandemic on the elderly
At this juncture of the pandemic, healthcare has not been relayed as a collective responsibility but rather as an individual effort, which fails to consider the vulnerability of our elderly populace. The seniors are scared to step out of their homes since they are more likely to be impacted, keeping them helpless about fulfilling their daily life needs. Whether it be an at-home setting or an old age home in Gurgaon, Mumbai or any other parts of the country, there has not been a qualitative attempt to maintain the overall well-being of the elderly due to lack of knowledge, ignorance and a prevalent ideology of disregarding the comfort of seniors during tough times. Those who live with their families or are more financially well off may still be able to retain their quality of life even within the constraints of their home, but that makes up a minuscule percentage of our population. Those who are not so privileged have been subjected to isolation, neglect, abuse and overall exposure to the sad reality of their redundancy in a nation with 136.64 crore people yet nobody to pay heed to their concerns.
The financial dependency, degeneration of bodily functions, susceptibility to chronic and acute diseases makes the situation worse, especially when no mention of the elderly is found in government initiatives and considerations. This mute battle of stigma and ignorance associated with ageing is an age-old phenomenon that has taken the form of a raging issue at hand: the dire state of the elderly during the pandemic. At this point, there is much to be considered and undertaken to ensure that this negligence and incompetence of our healthcare system and government bodies, to reckon with and resolve the unique difficulties of the seniors, doesn’t leave the ageing hopeless to the relief they need.
Fortunately, certain groups, NGOs, and individuals have been coming to the rescue of the older people in helping them fulfil their daily needs, with online doctor consultations becoming the new norm along with social distancing. However, the issue by large still remains unresolved at a nationwide scale with the further scope of improvement in our approaches even at homes. There are various measures that families can take to collectively play their part in maintaining quality living for the aged to ensure the right care for them as they are more likely to suffer from deteriorating social and emotional health. One step towards providing the required welfare for seniors is to give them attention, listen to their concerns and keep them engaged in activities.
Here are few points highlighting the ways of engaging seniors and keeping them occupied to navigate emotional vulnerability due to the physical and mental isolation induced by the pandemic.
- Make your ageing loved ones familiar with technology to enable them to access the outside world online while ensuring that they remain well aware of the rampant false rumours and news, especially on Facebook and WhatsApp.
- Plan activities that one can do with family and create daily rituals where everyone comes together, such as playing carrom, cards, ludo, chess and other games. This way, the elderly would have something to look forward to, and they will not feel left out.
- Have a morning routine where everyone does some sort of exercises, including mild activities like yoga and meditation for elderly parents and grandparents.
- Make good use of video calls to keep them connected to other family members and incorporate humour in their life by watching movies and providing them companionship.
- Reading, writing, and collective or individual hobbies like gardening and knitting can also effectively keep the seniors away from dwelling too much about their movements being confined to their home.
Senior Care Genie is striving to improve the quality of elderly living by empowering families to make the best decisions regarding senior care. Be it finding the right old age home or care at-home and elderly medical equipment, we are a one-stop solution for ensuring the most suitable care for families’ ageing loved ones that match their healthcare requirement and budget.
