Some Good Things to Think About With Seniors and Coronavirus
So far the Coronavirus (covid-19) seems to be most dangerous for our seniors, especially those who may have underlying chronic conditions. State agencies on aging, healthcare facilities, nursing and rehab facilities, etc. are all rushing to come to some best practices to ensure the safety and well being of the most vulnerable group of our population.
It does feel like calmer heads are now starting to prevail while last week, there seemed to be more speculation and panic. While there are still decisions being made that can feel “panicked” we should all recognize that the threat is serious AND that none of us want to see our loved ones get sick and potentially die…It shouldn’t take a scare like this to get us thinking through best practices to protect against illness like the Flu or covid-19, but unfortunately it does.
Where I take solace is that there is nothing we can do to stop the spread at this point, but rather there are many things we can do to help slow it down; hopefully enough to get ahead of it with new treatments, etc. But we can’t stop it and we shouldn’t stop living our lives either. Just listen to your government and leaders as they provide more “rational” information and do the things that we can control like stay home if sick, wash your hands, and refrain from panic buying / stockpiling, etc.
Here’s some good articles focusing on what to consider when thinking about our most vulnerable population - our seniors.
CDC - What to do if you are a higher risk population? Older adults and those suffering from chronic ailments like Diabetes, Heart Disease and Lung Disease. They have GREAT info on what to do if you are a higher risk population or if you are sick.
Washington Post: Listen to your government, stay informed, respect the rules at nursing care and healthcare facilities, Consider longer term nursing care solutions, check in on elderly neighbors and give them some support, wash your hands, don’t panic, do prepare :)
National Council on Aging: COVID-19 Resources for Senior Centers
See what some senior centers or groups of senior centers are doing. They also have some additional links to the CDC and World Health Organization
SWCAA - Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging: They, along with other CT Agencies are meeting to come up with the plans while still acting in our communities. They have a specific page for covid-19 that is updated frequently. They have CDC links as well as municipal contacts for people in our specific Connecticut region. Your local agencies on aging will likely have similar pages set up to help you find the resources you need to stay up to date in your towns. Stay informed so you don’t have to succumb to rumor and panic :)
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