The issue of isolation isn’t a new one for seniors. This has been an ongoing problem for a long time, and it has had a profound impact on the mental and physical health of seniors. Isolation tends to exacerbate not just mental health issues, but physical health problems, too.
Isolation is a very real problem, and it is far more prevalent than you might think, even with all the attention that the pandemic has brought to the issue. It’s not just people residing in nursing homes that struggle with this. For a wide variety of reasons, people find themselves unwillingly on their own. And this is never good. People deserve to be safe, happy, and healthy.
Isolation can occur even in a residential setting. That’s one of the huge issues that we’ve seen happening over the last several months of the pandemic. People that reside within some sort of elder care facility often find themselves spending the vast majority of their days by themselves. And unfortunately, there wasn’t much that could be done to prevent this in some cases.
Luckily, the increased number of people that have received the vaccine is beginning to turn the tides on isolation within facilities. Seniors are able to do more and interact more with others. Masks and social distancing are still relevant, but people are able to do a little bit more now than they once could. And that’s a step in the right direction.
But isolation remains a problem for those that live on their own outside of care facilities. People remain shut in, or afraid to leave their homes because of the virus. Again, this was an ongoing issue for elderly people across the world prior to the pandemic. Now that we are still dealing with the virus, it remains a glaring problem for a lot of people. It is likely even going on in your local community.
Do you have a family member or a friend that falls into this category? You can still do your part to help them. While in-home care might be a very realistic choice for some situations, we also know that it’s not the right move for everyone. If you’re unsure of what your next steps are, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us or another care service that you trust. It’s important that people have other people in their lives. We are meant to be social–even the most introverted of us.
Being alone is tough. Being alone and needing help is even harder. Each of us has a little bit of reach that we can have when it comes to helping other people. If we all were to take a look at those around us, our family, those within our community, and people that we have been close to over the years, we can take little steps toward reducing the negative impact that loneliness, isolation, and separation can have on someone. Even if it’s something little, like calling a loved one once a week over video chat, it can have a profoundly positive influence on them.
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