Elderly Face Mental Health Impact as COVID-19 Pandemic Continues | Morrison County Records

The new coronavirus pandemic can affect everyone, regardless of age, but the world’s elderly are heavily affected by serious infections and high mortality worldwide.

Although some restrictions have been lifted across the country, most advice for older people is the same: go home, wear a mask, and go out only when needed during special business hours.

Michelin Kimman, a Northern Pines Mental Health outpatient officer, fears of infection, limited pandemics, lack of access to technology, and lack of access sacrifice the mental health of older people.

“The first thing I teach them is to make everything they feel right. It’s great that everyone strives to be really positive, but you I think there’s also the basic thing that you need to verify what you feel is okay, “she said.

Routine tasks such as grocery shopping, banking, or just watching the evening news add to the level of stress for older people, Kimman said. Some people are concerned about catching a virus, wearing a mask, protecting themselves, or being judged about not being able to access certain services. Older people, whether in the evening news or on social media platforms, can experience fear, anxiety, stress, etc. from the wave of information they are exposed to.

“Too many people have seen too much and have lived more than necessary on a panic, fear-based level,” Kim Man said. “I think it’s very difficult for people to understand what they need to do to stay safe.”

Many trusted sources for people to learn about COVID-19 and prevention include health care professionals, Centers for Disease Control, Minnesota Department of Health, or the World Health Organization. All of these have resources for the elderly or those at risk.

Do not overload once you have enough information to be confident. Confidence can turn into stress, fear, anxiety, and depression.

Isolation poses another risk to the mental health of older people, Kim Man said. Normal activities, from visits to senior centers to participation in weekly club meetings and Bible studies, are on hold, precluding some of the only social interactions older adults have, she said. Said. Also, younger generations are strongly encouraged to stay connected using social platforms, but many older people do not have these options

“They lack the connectivity because they don’t necessarily have the technical ability to zoom and face time or call,” Kim Man said.

Rescheduling and reduced social connections could have a detrimental effect on groups of these people, she said, setting up video calls for family members, whether or not they were daily calls. It is advisable to find a way to ask or to access other computers, or sit outdoors and keep a distance conversation with your neighbors.

“I think the isolation is so great right now, and that’s why I think there was a big shift from the term social distance to the term physical distance to connect,” Kimman said. “It doesn’t mean I can’t connect with you, it just means you can’t be by your side.”

According to Kim Man, if older people miss family milestones, they may become more isolated.

Prom, graduation, childbirth, weddings, and holiday events have been canceled or put on hold, and older people feel the loss of those moments.

“These milestones are important for older people and adults, as well as parents and grandparents,” she said.

People had to adjust their expectations, she reminds people that the pandemic is over.

“There will be times when we go out and back again,” she said.

In the meantime, finding ways to deal with and reduce stress is one’s best defense.

“With the constraint that they need to get out now, what we can do is when they can’t go out anymore,” she asked.

Hobbies, crafts, and, where possible, spending time with household members is not only all the ways to spend time and create a normal sensation, but to stay connected in some way with other family and friends. Kimman suggested playing card games and sharing meals in video games when possible.

The CDC also offers a list of ways to maintain your physical and mental health. This includes updating COVID-19, meditation, eating healthy, exercising, getting enough sleep, and staying connected.

Kim Man also said that older people may seek help through family and professional mental health services.

“We need to stop making decisions about what people should feel and allow them to feel and work from that perspective,” she said.

Some organizations offer phone hotlines for support

Salvation Army: (877) 220-4195, Monday to Friday, 8 am-8pm

Mental Health Minnesota Hotline: 1 (800) 862-1799

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255, 24/7.

SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline: 1 (800) 985-5990 or TalkWithUs text to 66746, 24/7.

Minnesota Warm Line: (877) 404-3190 or 85511 from the text “Support”, Monday to Saturday, 5 pm. Until 10 pm