Has the COVID pandemic taught you how isolating it can be when you are unable to engage in your normal routine and get together with your family and friends? For many of us, it has. Our elder loved ones, in particular, may have suffered from feelings of loneliness and isolation during the COVID-19 crisis. Let us take a look at four ways that you can help a senior who you care about avoid feeling isolated during COVID and beyond.

1. Be present. Try to reach out to your senior loved one by phone, text, Facetime, or a socially-distanced, in-person visit to show you care and that you value seeing and speaking to him or her.

2. Be consistent. Understandably, we can all get caught up with our daily lives, but it can be important to try to make a point to consistently reach out to your loved one to check in.  Being able to look forward to a daily or weekly call or visit from you can really help lift his or her spirits if your loved one starts to feel lonely.

3. Be creative. If your loved one is a history buff, help connect them with virtual tours of museums across the globe. If your loved one likes to play board games, set up a virtual game night with family and friends. One positive thing that has come out of the COVID crisis may be all of the virtual and socially distant opportunities available to cater to any interest or hobby. 

4. Be supportive. Aging can be a lonely process and, to combat that loneliness, our elder loved ones can need to feel supported by family and friends. Make an effort to ensure your loved one knows that you are available to lean on for support. Simply knowing your loved one can call you when in need can make all the difference in the world when a feeling of isolation creeps in.

To learn more about how you can assist and support an elder loved one in your life, our office is available to you as a resource. Please contact us to schedule a meeting.