There are many ways that seniors can protect themselves against the coronavirus, and in doing so, they can be at peace knowing they’re lowering their risk of getting the virus. One unintended symptom of avoiding COVID-19 that seniors are not so easily protected against is the stress surrounding the illness. Self-isolating and social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus can lead to deeper mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety. While staying at home, however, seniors in independent senior living communities can maintain a calm environment to keep those worries at bay.
Make time for activities such as gardening or reading
Being stuck at home is the perfect time to pick up an old hobby or try out a new one. The best retirement communities and senior independent living facilities will offer peaceful campus activities that can be accessed from the comfort of home. For example, Country Meadows is an active and social lifestyle retirement community that offers relaxing activities like gardening and yoga for seniors. Favorite pastimes such as reading, knitting and listening to music are also great ways for seniors to relax and focus on staying positive.
Connect often with friends and family
One of the easiest ways to fight off feelings of loneliness is to stay in contact with friends and family as often as possible. Thanks to technology, connecting with others is more achievable than ever. Seniors can set up a video chat or FaceTime through a smart phone, tablet or on a laptop or computer. In cases where technology is either unavailable or too difficult to master as a senior, a simple phone call can be just as effective. In some independent senior living communities, staff members help residents set up FaceTime and video chats so that a person’s limited knowledge of technology doesn’t get in the way of connecting with loved ones.
Take a break from the news
There can be a lot to prepare for during a pandemic. Watching the news often might seem like the best thing to do in order to stay as informed as possible. But what this might do is cause more harm than good as the overload of news stories could cause panic instead of preparedness. Seniors should find a trusted source, get the information they need and then take a break. One way to do this is to set a news viewing schedule so it’s easier to stick to this routine.
While practicing the best ways to minimize COVID-19 related stress, it’s important that seniors stay in touch with the staff at their active and social lifestyle retirement community. Staff members, nurses and employees within personal care services are great resources for seniors who need help creating a peaceful environment during this time at home. The staff at Country Meadows is working hard to go above and beyond for all residents and make sure they have all they need to be cared for and calm in their retirement living communities.
To learn more about Country Meadows, and all of the services we currently offer, please visit our website. Our active and social lifestyle retirement community facilities include a range of amenities for many levels of care and unique requirements. Contact us today to see how Country Meadows can meet all of the senior independent living needs for you or your loved one.
Country Meadows
