The COVID-19 pandemic pushed us all into a unique state of paranoia. People have suffered through recurring waves of losing health and employment combined with long lockdown periods and the loss of their loved ones, globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), older people stand at a higher risk of catching the viral infection and experiencing it severely.
The side effects of this deadly pandemic have influenced everyone in every aspect of life. It has brought unprecedented problems and disproportionate threats in the relationships, wellbeing, and social life of the elderly community.
Some major challenges imposed by COVID-19 in the lives of older adults are mentioned below:
1- Social Isolation:
The onset of the pandemic shifted all our social interactions to online platforms. The lengthy era of social distancing left us with no option to stay connected with our loved ones. In this situation, social media was the only way out for us. Now most of our elders were unaware of the digital platforms and therefore, they couldn’t use them for interacting with their friends. Although some of them even tried to learn about social media, still there were a lot of hurdles in their way.
An academic study published in September 2020 confirmed that older individuals have missed their social interaction with friends, family, co-workers, and other acquaintances more than the younger ones in the society. Moreover, they also face difficulty in learning how to use the technology for communication.
2-Loneliness:
The absence of physical contact and daily interactions with loved ones has led to a shared state of loneliness and isolation among senior citizens. Older individuals living independently have especially faced the brunt of the pandemic. They faced the burden of preparing meals, doing groceries, cleaning, and taking care of other household chores all by themselves. These circumstances have played a major part in creating psychological stress.
3-Lack of Physical Activity:
Restrictions on leisure activities such as hiking, visiting parks, beaches and playing golf, etc., has majorly influenced the elderly. They faced difficulties in maintaining their fitness and wellness due to lack of exercising and other activities, which led to direct repercussions on their physical and mental wellbeing.
Many older adults have shared the concerns of weight gain, unhealthy eating habits, smoking, and weird sleep patterns. Lack of engagement in fun activities has also triggered boredom, compulsive thoughts, and depression in older citizens.
4-Access to Medical Facilities:
The lengthy registration process for vaccinations with layers of face masks, gloves, continuous use of disinfectants and frequent visits to the doctors for medical check-ups were tiring and worrisome during the global pandemic. All of this was hard to manage for our senior citizens with underlying health conditions.
As the pandemic has overburdened the health care system globally, accessing regular medical facilities has now become a challenge for everyone.
5-Financial Troubles
COVID-19 has increased the number of unemployment and left many businesses with the only option of shutting down. All of this has caused financial stress to people belonging to various age groups. For older citizens, the pandemic has introduced more expenses (medical bills, etc) and less earning possibilities. The elderly generation is not well-accustomed to using technology. Hence, businesses shifting to online platforms has added to their misery.
Noble Care promises to cater to all these challenges and provide an environment of love, respect, and care for the elderly community during the pandemic. It has successfully vaccinated and administered booster shots among its residents and staff.
The team of professionals at Noble Care are expert in providing elderly care by focusing on the different problems faced by everyone. They provide home nursing and retirement resorts services, which can help the elders affected by the pandemic in a significant way.
