It’s a tragic, sometimes overlooked fact 80% of U.S. Covid-19 deaths are 65 years old or older. Special precautions for elders during Covid-19 are therefore as important as ever. Centers for Disease Control reports the following statistics of elders hospitalized with Covid-19 in the United States:
1… 31% to 59% of adult patients aged 65 to 84 were in hospital
2… 31% to 70% of adult patients aged 85 and over were in hospital
3… 11% to 31% of adult patients aged 65 to 84 were in intensive care
4… 6% to 29% of adult patients aged 85 and over were in intensive care
5… 4% to 11% of adult patients aged 65 to 84 died in hospital
6… 10% to 27% of adult patients aged 85 and over died in hospital
Special Precautions for Elders during Covid-19 : The Bottom Line
We have heard this advice so many times before it is getting almost easier to forget it. Stay at home as much as you possibly can. Top up the auto gas tank and park it in the garage. Start ordering all your supplies on the internet for delivery to your front door. Think of reasons not to go out. Covid could be with us for a long time. These special precautions for elders will be with us for a while longer.
Wash your hands as often as you remember. If you are on your own it might be useful to have a regular schedule and set an alarm. When you do go out, or someone visits you, be as careful as you can with personal hygiene. Wash your hands before you put on face protection, and again before you remove it. Always maintain personal distances – you may have to remind people no direct contact is allowed.
Watch Your Stress Levels and Manage Them Sensibly
Avoid reading, listening or watching the news all the time. This can be stressful and affect our health. Give time to your body for meditating, taking deep breaths and stretching gently. Our special precautions for elders during Covid-19 include being simply, you.
Take time to unwind with your hobbies, and chat with friends sharing deeper feelings. Reach out for help before your emotions overwhelm you. This is not the way any of us thought 2020 would roll out. Hang on to your beliefs and trust. Let them be with you throughout this time.
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