Older adults have become much better at managing the challenges of the current crisis. However, this wasn’t always the case. At the beginning of the global pandemic, it was observed that feelings of loneliness and isolation doubled for older adults.
Regardless, their behavior and social attitudes have significantly changed as the pandemic persists. If you have a loved one that’s an older adult, you’ve probably noticed the major shift in their disposition over time.
The promise of a vaccine rollout happening sooner rather than later has sparked hope in many people. Finally, the threat of the virus is coming to an end. In reality, this is just one of the many factors that have helped older adults change their perception of this crisis.
Closer to Home
It’s only natural for Americans to send their seniors to nursing homes as they grow older. As older adults’ social circles slowly get smaller and smaller, these facilities will allow them to make new relationships and spend more time with other people. Not to mention the guaranteed care they can be provided with.
Unfortunately, the unprecedented outbreak of the global pandemic has severely inhibited these as well. This resulted in a sudden increase in the feeling of social isolation among seniors. Now, families are making more concerted efforts to connect with older adults despite the circumstances.
Most people have even opted to move their loved ones closer to, if not inside, their own homes. They’ve preferred to get the services of assisted living from a franchise for in-home care instead of leaving older adults in other facilities farther away.
A Change in Scenery
Providing closer care for your loved ones during this time can significantly improve their overall health and wellness. It gives them better opportunities to have social interactions and companionship, which are essential for older adults. The drastic change in environment can help them engage with family, their neighborhood, and even technology much easier.
This shift can also encourage them to take up healthier behaviors and lifestyle habits. It allows them to try to learn new things, which can improve their physical and cognitive capabilities. Your loved ones will surely gain plenty of benefits just by being closer to family. Here are some great activities that older adults could do at home.
The Great Outdoors
Simply going outdoors can significantly boost the mood of older adults. Whether it’s walking around the neighborhood or simply admiring the scenery from the yard, it can help them feel more relaxed. This is a good daily activity that doesn’t require much effort.
Spending time outdoors also allows them to interact with their neighbors, which helps in fostering new relationships. This can easily eliminate the feeling of loneliness that they often feel when they’re in another facility away from home.
More Family Time
Of course, being closer to home also means older adults get to interact with their family more. Having your loved ones nearer gets rid of any feeling of unfamiliarity that they could develop from other facilities. It also lessens their dependency on technology to stay connected.
Working on ways to visit also shouldn’t be a problem, especially with everyone being sheltered-in-place. As long as your loved ones know and feel that you’re present in their lives, it can easily provide them with a sense of comfort and improve their well-being.
Get Moving
Older adults also get the chance to constantly move around when they’re in a familiar setting. Given the current setting of the pandemic, it can be easy to spend countless hours just sitting down. Simply walking or pacing around the house can prove to have physical and mental benefits.
Other older adults have even been observed to exercise regularly. Some of these movements don’t necessarily need a lot of physical exertion. There are fairly easy seated exercises and chair yoga that they could accomplish.
It Comes With Age
After more than a year into the global pandemic, older adults have surely picked up new hobbies and activities to help them cope with the circumstances. Being closer to their families has definitely helped them navigate through the current crisis.
More than this, however, it also has a lot to do with their age serving as a buffer. It’s recently observed that seniors are reporting less anxiety and stress around the pandemic than younger adults. While they are aware that the threat of the virus remains, older adults generally have better emotional well-being.
The spike in loneliness among older adults only occurred during the first few months of the global pandemic, given its sudden outbreak. Now, older adults are simply choosing to focus on the positive sides of the current circumstances, especially since discovering a vaccine.
While younger adults are still anxiously waiting for the arrival of the post-pandemic world, seniors have chosen to focus on the present. Quite frankly, everyone should follow suit. This little shift in perspective can substantially boost everyone’s health and wellness overall.
