The Coronavirus is drastically affecting the world’s population, but seniors people face more serious challenges and threats. Even if everyone is at risk of catching the virus, older people face a significant risk of developing serious health problems due to physiological changes associated with underlying aging and health problems.
Elders must have access to health care services during the pandemic for primary care and emergency health. Family members, social service providers, health professionals and community members who care for older adults should support them with all the resources they need. The resources we are talking about must include approaches to reach older adults with the help of technology and telemedicine. Family members should improve digital literacy of their greatest so they can use mobile applications and devices to receive and access information and communicate with health care providers even when they can not physically visit a health center.
Here are some recommendations on how to provide the elderly access to support and attention during the pandemic.
Maintain a healthy and nutritious diet
Even when the world does not deal with a virus pandemic, nutrition can be difficult for seniors. Their sense of taste and smell can change, and they can no longer love to eat food. Some medications and medications can cause side effects that prevent them from eating special foods or affecting their appetite. But Covid-19 followed a healthy eating even more difficult for them because when they are isolated at home all day, they are more likely to eat junk food or snack. Treat once in a while, but it is essential that the elderly eat nutritious foods.
Upcoming planning is important when you try to maintain a healthy diet. Try planning your parents or grandparents a few days in advance to make sure all the ingredients. Create a list of purchases based on their weekly meal plan so as not to have to rely on junk food. Elders should include in their daily vegetables, legumes, beans, fruits, proteins and whole grains. Elderly should follow the 80/20 rule, which involves eating healthy foods 80% of the time and other foods for the remaining 20%.
Encourage them to stay active
If they used to attend fitness classes and gym centers are closed, they may have trouble staying physically active. Physical activity rooms are closed in most places and if the area where it live is densely populated, they can even find it difficult to walk outside the house. But you can help them create a home exercise routine that keeps them active and maintains their muscles and their healthy joints. Yoga is a workout of the popular house for seniors and has many advantages. They can participate in an online class specially developed for the elderly.
There are also many online workouts that they can check. It is important to help them choose programs designed for seniors as their body has special needs. If they can go out safely, they should consider cycling, walking or hiking to get their heart rate and soak in the sun.
Physical activity lowers pain, improves mobility, strengthens their mental health and improves the quality of sleep. It is advisable for the elderly to exercise at least 30 minutes a day if they have the approval of their doctor. They should also avoid sitting for too long, even if they do not have much to do. Encourage them to move in the house once every hour so that their blood flowed.
Help them exercise their mind
Their cognitive health is as important as physics. When they stay in the same environment for long periods and have no contact with other people, their cognitive health can deter. It is difficult to keep their minds active. You can engage in several activities and games to help them sharpen their minds. The most popular mental exercises for seniors are Sudoku, Jigsaw puzzles, puzzle games, crosswords and memory drawings.
They can also give themselves small tasks throughout the day to keep their edit sharp and engaged. They can try to spell words upside down, brushing their hair with the opposite hand or do other activities that stimulate their brain at home.
Connect with other people in safe conditions
Socialization is vital for people of all ages. Elders should particularly communicate regularly with their loved ones to maintain their quality of life and mental health. Socialization also involves seeing their doctors for periodic controls. The good news is that technology provides them with all the tools they need to connect with those they like or their doctors without exposing themselves to health risks. They can visit a health center that uses telemedicine to treat patients while limiting the number of individuals they contact. Studies show that seniors with larger social networks have a lower risk of cognitive and dementia deficiency. Research also shows that loneliness can trigger a functional drop.
Even if it is not safe for the moment to be in close contact with the people they do not live, they can stay in touch with their friends and family with the help of platforms like FaceTime or Skype .
Drink plenty of water
Dehydration is quite common among seniors and can trigger several health problems. On the other hand, sufficient water consumption can help them improve their health and strengthen their immunity, which is of crucial importance during the coronavirus pandemic. Health specialists recommend drinking 64 ounces of water daily. Encourage them to make the habit of drinking water daily. They should have a drink when they wake up and another with every meal. You can even install an application on his phone to alert them to drink water. If they do not like the taste of plain water, you can add aromatization or fruit powder for this to be more attractive.
Final words
The pandemic has changed the way people live and interact with others, and for some, it has been difficult to adapt to the new circumstances. Take the above steps can help seniors feel better and strengthen their health.
