The physician recommends 7 ways to deal with elderly care during covid-19 isolation

The approaching Dragon Boat Festival highlights the importance of expressing concern for the elderly during the outbreak of pandemic. Shi Yanan (施妍安),the chief physician of Shutian Clinic (書林診所), said that in the face of the uncertainty brought about by the epidemic, we must make physical and mental adjustments and think positively to coexist peacefully with the epidemic. 

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When facing the uncertainty of the epidemic, it is even more necessary to think positively. (Image courtesy of Shutterstock) 

Shi Yanan (施妍安) provides 7 strategies to take care of the elderly

1. Develop a balance life style to prevent the elderly from worrying.

life needs more regularity under the struggling period. It is highly recommended to arrange a structured life and to do effective time management. For example, you should plan work and rest time for long-term remote work, establish a sense of ritual in life, organize your thoughts, and keep learning new things with motivation. 

2. Caring for the elderly by phone and video.

It is easy to feel disconnected and anxious at home during social isolation. Therefore, family members can actively contact with the elderly to break the sense of isolation, while at the same time, building the emotional connection with them. With the connections of phone or online video, the elderly can be cared during the epidemic prevention period.

3. Watch the epidemic news with a positive attitude.

Remind the elderly to maintain confidence in epidemic control and decrease the elderly’s’ frequency of absorbing the negative epidemic new. Moreover, provide more positive perspectives toward the epidemic news.

4. Grasp the time to go out in the sun.

Decrease the frequency of going out during the epidemic prevention period. If you want to go out to buy supplies, you should buy enough at one time. When going outdoors, the elderly should pay attention to their own epidemic prevention measures. With the time of walking out, they can also relieve the long-term depression at home. 

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The doctor recommends 7 ways to care for the elders during the period covid-19 prevention (Image courtesy of Pixabay)

5. Do indoor exercise to protect muscle strength.

 It is highly recommended that the elderly develop the habit of indoor exercise. Moderate stretching of the muscles and bones and sunbathing on the balcony are all beneficial to the elderly both mentally and physically.

6. Pass your “love”, not pass “yourselves”.

Majority might plan to return to home since the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching. However, returning home may cause inevitable crowds and increase the risk of infection when back to the hometown. Therefore, it is highly recommend to express your love to the elderly with digital devices during the pandemic.

7. Family members should take medicine on their behalf.

Since the elderly belong to a high-risk group of covid-19, it is not appropriate to let them go to hospitals and other places by themselves. It is recommended that younger generations can assist in the procedure of taking medicines to reduce the risk of the elderly being infected.