Currently, the world is experiencing a health emergency due to the coronavirus known as COVID-19 .
To protect themselves from this pandemic, many people have begun quarantine periods, that is, preventive isolation at home for health reasons.
Let's remember that one of the populations particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 is precisely our older adults , due to the conditions of their immune systems.
Therefore, to make this quarantine as bearable as possible, here are some recommendations.
Body, mind and spirit of the older adult
Just because your senior is confined doesn't mean they can't exercise. Of course, before encouraging them to do any exercise, consult with their primary care physician or healthcare professional , so they can guide you on what exercises they can and can't do.
Given the contingency, you can communicate by phone or video call.
1. Use your home as a big gym
Depending on your patient's abilities, try doing head, shoulder, arm, and leg movements together. You can do some stretches with the help of chairs, couches, and other furniture at home.
You can even temporarily rearrange the furniture and create a sort of circuit for your adult to walk around. With your creativity, why not even organize a mini race or a series of challenges to complete?
You could leave clues around the house with questions that lead to other areas of the house, encouraging your adult to move and be active. The possibilities are endless.
2. The importance of the smartphone
With the help of video calls, you can connect your adult with the rest of their family and take advantage of the time not only to spend time together, but also to exercise together, albeit remotely.
They will love not only seeing each other, but also continuing to interact.
3. Lean on technology
The internet is full of videos with exercise routines and even dance or Zumba routines that your adult can follow step by step.
Always make sure they are from reliable and verified sources, and review the content beforehand. We urge you to consult a healthcare professional.
For any of these exercises, always remember to thoroughly clean the surfaces and objects used and wash your hands with soap or disinfectant, as well as avoid physical contact or touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
4. Get your mind moving
- Activate your brain. This time at home is perfect for activities like putting together puzzles, solving word searches, mazes, playing board games, crossword puzzles, drawing, painting, listening to music, watching movies, and even learning how to use social media. We're sure you can help with that.
- The machinery of remembering. Together with your older adult, talk about your experiences. You can start with basic, open-ended questions like, "What was your first kiss like?", "What was your biggest prank as a child?", or "Have you ever had a fistfight?" This can be the start of a long session of reminiscing and anecdotes. This will not only stimulate their memory, but also bring you even closer. It's worth it, don't you think?
- Rely on technology. On the internet, you can find various memory exercises, brain exercises, spot-the-difference exercises, and digital puzzles, among others. And so, while your adult engages their mind, they'll learn more about the possibilities offered by the virtual world.
5. Stimulate the spirit of the elderly
- A moment for reflection. Without a doubt, this emergency has shaken the world and demonstrated how fragile and vulnerable we human beings are, as well as the importance of valuing life.
- Talk to your adult about this and create a to-do list together to accomplish once the isolation ends. These to-dos could range from taking that long-postponed trip to counseling, or taking the opportunity to forgive a family member for a mistake they made.
- A moment like the one we're going through cannot go unnoticed in our lives. Something has come to teach us.
- Breathe, calm down, and express yourself. Quarantine can be tough for some people. If this is the case for your older adult, there are audios with guided meditations, breathing exercises, and even disciplines like yoga that can help refocus emotions.
- Rely on technology. On the internet, you can find a wide variety of websites for your adult from global organizations and official centers specializing in mental health. Many of them, including the websites of several local government offices, have published information related to mental health during COVID-19.
How long will the coronavirus last?
Unfortunately, this period of forced pause on a global level is also a sign of pause for us as individuals. If life has required us to pause for a moment, it's because there's something it wants to teach us.
If you're interested in answering that question, we share this article where we try to establish when this pandemic will end: 16 FUNDAMENTAL ANSWERS ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS
Regardless of a person's risk level from this pandemic, the important thing isn't to find ways to occupy themselves or distract themselves to make time pass more quickly, but rather to accept this mandatory pause as a respite, a moment to reflect, to let go, to forgive, and to rethink life.
We're confident that, with your help, your senior will be able to face this quarantine with the best attitude and emerge stronger to continue enjoying life.
