It has been almost a year since seeing my mother. The reality of it boggles my mind at times. She is a darling, vivacious, outgoing, eighty-three-year-old lady. She and her friends keep the phone lines busy either calling, texting or checking on each other on Facebook. Social distancing has had an interesting effect on the elderly and how they live life.
My mom’s daily routine before the pandemic was to go to the gym, swing by on the way home to visit with friends, pick up her granddaughter from school, and go to church activities. Nowadays, she goes downstairs to walk her daily mile around the dining and living room, checks on her friends thru social media, waits for family to come by and goes to church online.
Elderly people in our community have experienced some of the same issues as so many others have nationwide. The full impact of isolation is not fully understood by science, but it is evident that it is affecting so many elderly citizens. Everyday situations that normally would not cause emotional distress in times past can quickly become a major issue for those that have stayed in isolation.
How can we, as compassionate community, help combat this phenomena? Emily Rind writes a handwritten note such as this quote on care packages. “I know it must be hard not seeing your family and loved ones, so I hope this will brighten your day and put a smile on your face.” Emily is a sixteen-year-old who has taken upon herself to make care packages to those in her local area nursing home. She fills the care packages with puzzles, word search books, activities, and other items.
There are so many other ways to reach out to elderly who are staying home during the pandemic. Entrepreneurs are creating innovative ways to touch those we cannot reach out to physically hug. I recently purchased a pillow online for my own mother. It was a picture of the state of Texas with an arrow connecting the state of California. It was customized with our names and hers so anytime she felt like a hug from us she could squeeze the pillow. There are also lamps you can touch in your home, and it changes the color of the lamp your loved one has in their home to indicate you just thought of them. Sending cards in the mail is another way to reach out, even if your loved ones are close-by.
Studies are showing that those over 65 years of age, older women, and those living alone tend to have a higher ratio of depression, anxiety and even linked to strokes and dementia. Even mental health care is difficult to access for those who are on a limited income, even those with some medical insurance.
As the pandemic is on the downslope perhaps, we could continue to reach out to those who are elderly as one day we will be in that life cycle as well. Hopefully there will be those who reach out to us at that point to brighten our day and put a smile on our wrinkled face.