Senior citizens face an especially high health risk due to the global pandemic. It’s crucial seniors and their families carefully examine what is best for older folks during these times.
Michele Richards at the Rochester Beacon has written an insightful article about some of the things seniors and their families should consider when it comes to their safey in relation to elder care.
Tips for Seniors and their Families
1. Nursing homes have been ground-zero for many of the tragedies that occurred during the pandemic. It may be time to reevaluate whether elder-care facilities are right for you or your loved ones.
Richards suggests seniors who do not require extensive medical care consider living with an adult child if there’s a low risk of contamination within the household. In addition to creating a potentially healthier environment, this can help combat the loneliness and isolation sometimes caused by lockdowns and social distancing.
2. “Care-management” companies are available to provide assistance in the home if adult children can not telecommute or are during the day. Options like this allow for flexibility in how elders seniors are given care and how families can continue to carry out their daily lives.
3. For seniors unable to live with family or see them often, video-calling technology, like Apple’s Facetime or Microsoft’s Skype, is an alternative to stay in touch. Though it might not be quite the same as a real-life visit, it could an adequate substitute to lift someone’s spirits during a lockdown.
4. Families should try to “get more involved in designing customized care plan[s] for their loved ones” in nursing homes or other senior-care facilities. Relatives’ participation in developing a care plan can help avoid “the plight” many seniors face when they don’t receive the attention and consideration they deserve.
During extreme situations like the pandemic, family members’ familiarity with an elderly relative’s care plan situation could be crucial.
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