COVID-19: How to help your elderly parent when you can’t visit
Do you wonder how to help your elderly parent when you can’t visit during the COVID-19 pandemic? In the past few weeks, helping elderly parents in assisted living facilities, nursing homes and hospitals has become a real challenge. To protect our most vulnerable, social distancing requirements now limit or even prohibit visitors. In many facilities, residents are isolated even from each other and normal social activities have come to a halt.
While most of us understand the reasons for this isolation, we know it creates unique challenges for our parents. This can be complicated further for those who have dementia, complicated medical issues, or high emotional needs.
When you can’t visit them, how do you help?
Here are a few tips to minimize stress for yourself and your parents, help them avoid boredom, and ensure they have the supplies they need,
- Reinforce the reasons for the “social distancing” and remind them that it’s for their safety since they are at greater risk for the coronavirus.
- Increase the frequency of your phone and video calls to provide reassurance and a break in their routine. I’ve even heard of family members standing outside the window of parent’s rooms so that they can see each other (may or may not work for you).
- Ask other family members to check in more frequently also.
- Order snacks, staples and medicines online and have them delivered to the front door of the facility.
- Drop by or order online delivery of books, puzzles, craft supplies or games.
- Check in regularly with the facility staff to get updates and proactively address any issues or concerns or manage medical issues. Be a strong advocate, alerting staff to ways to help your parent be most relaxed.
- If doctors appointments can’t be missed for medical reasons, work with the staff to determine appropriate measures to take.
- Remember to take care of yourself and do what fills your soul and reduces your own anxiety!
With so many resources for communicating and ordering supplies online, protecting our parents doesn’t have to mean social isolation. It just means we need to be creative to help them when we can’t visit!
May you find joy in connecting in new ways. May God give you wisdom to navigate challenging times. And may you and your parent experience peace of mind and so much love!
Additional resources:
If You Are at Higher Risk | CDC
AARP’s Practical Tips for Caregivers Concerned About Coronavirus
World Economic Forum | COVID-19: 4 tips to help the elderly stay connected
AARP: Families Concerned About Loved Ones in Nursing Homes, Assisted Living
