How to stay connected during lockdown
The physical distance caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on many people.
With millions of people around the world isolated from their loved ones, technology has become the key to staying in touch.
Research has proven that this distance has had extreme mental and physical effects within elderly populations, with an overwhelming sense of loneliness troubling many individuals.
The US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine said in a publication in 2020 that social isolation risks a 50 percent associated increase in dementia, as well as a 29 percent risk of heart disease and a 32 percent increased risk of stroke.
Geriatrician Laurie Archbald-Pannone spoke to The Conversation and offered several tips for seniors to stay socially connected during periods of isolation.
“Stay in touch with the people close to you, especially those who are social distancing too,” she wrote.
“The CDC recommends that communities create ‘buddy systems’ to make sure vulnerable and hard-to-reach people stay connected, particularly to news about COVID-19.”
Local and state governments have also introduced various programs and systems to help their local communities stay connected and engage with each other.
The Victorian government introduced the Coronavirus Support for Multicultural Seniors grants program, providing up to $2000 in funding to multicultural seniors’ groups during the pandemic.
This program provides assistance to support vulnerable individuals, and build strong connections with communities during a difficult time.
The federal Department of Social Services is offering its ‘Seniors Connected Program’, designed to address loneliness and social isolation experienced by older Australians aged over 55 living in the community.
These initiatives have been a global effort, with each country finding their own ways to help their elderly citizens stay connected through technology.
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