The world of Covid-19 remains very real, with everyone on the planet affected in some way or another. Considering their increased risk of infection, those 55 or older arguably have it harder than anyone else. With this in mind, the rest of us need to take time to help the seniors in our lives.
Here are several ways of doing so:
Video Calling
It’s important to set up video call visits with grandparents and anyone else in your family you believe needs support. Video calls may not seem like such a big deal, but this helps folks feel a little less alone. Most human beings need to be social and need human connection. Before the pandemic, this was relatively easy because all you had to do was visit others from time to time. People could spend holidays together or have family reunions, but that’s no longer possible for some people. Video calls are the next best thing; make sure you have the technology to make these calls periodically.
Addressing Healthcare
The pandemic is a pressing source of concern for older people in your family. It’s a deadly virus that’s a significant threat to those with a weaker immune system or those dealing with other sicknesses. If you want your grandparents to be as prepared as possible, you’ll have to talk about this and address healthcare. There’s a lot you can do to help. For example, assisting your grandparents in comparing Medicare Advantage plans in 2020 and 2021. Do what you can to answer their questions and help them pick a policy.
Sharing Information
Information about Covid-19 is changing every day. Because of this, it’s essential to pay attention to the news. Make sure you’re following CDC guidelines, and try your best to stay away from anything political. You and your family need to concentrate on what is coming from medical professionals. As scary as all this is, one thing that may be making it worse is misinformation, which seems to be everywhere, including some news sites. Go directly to the CDC site to see current news, and share the information you find with your grandparents and family.
Supporting Social Distancing
Try to support social distancing, which continues to get more complicated. There is a lot you can do to try to do this, like encouraging your grandparents to go to local farms and farmer’s markets instead of going to the store where there are many people. If these are not good options for some of the folks in your family, then consider offering food delivery. Yes, there are a lot of cities and towns in the US where grocery delivery is possible. This is a great way to avoid going in public for any reason. Try to teach folks in your family how to buy their groceries online using video calls to walk them through the process if necessary.
Creative Time Spent
Calling your relatives using video calls is great, but sometimes, this can get a little challenging after some time. This is the reason you should also do your best to figure out other ways to spend time together. For example, you guys could form a book club or maybe even a movie club. Agree to read or see the same stuff, and get together to talk about what you all thought. Doing this helps you talk a little easier. If you don’t want to do this, you could always try a cooking club where you all try a new dish and see how it turns out. The goal here is to find ways to connect now that you can’t visit each other as much.
These are just some ways you can support seniors at the moment. Don’t stop with these suggestions; go out of your way to help those you love because they need you.