Supporting Elderly Parents During the Pandemic
The weather is getting nicer and there’s light beginning to shine at the end of the global pandemic tunnel. However, it will still be awhile before life is back to normal, especially for seniors who are in the high-risk category. If you’re supporting an elderly parent during this time or if you find yourself getting a little stir-crazy staying at home and social distancing, here are some great online resources to help get you through.
CHECK OUT THE COAST:
One of the great things about living on Vancouver Island is the ready access to parks, beaches and ocean vistas. If those aren’t easy for you or your loved one to get to right now, check out the video cams at Race Rocks (racerocks.ca/video-cameras/) for some great coastal views. You can even control one of the cameras remotely when you visit their site.
ENJOY ART?
Even though art galleries all around the world are closed right now, you can tour many of the most famous ones online. The Louvre, the Uffuzi Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and many more all offer virtual tours, either on their websites, or through the Google Arts and Culture app that can be downloaded to a phone or tablet.
GARDENING
If you need inspiration for the summer gardening season, you’ll find lots of that, too. You can tour all kinds of gardens from the comfort of your couch, including the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew (kew.org) and the Botanic Garden at Oxford.
EXERCISE AND YOGA
You’ll find free exercise classes for all levels of ability. If your parent has limited strength or mobility, encourage them to search ‘chair exercises’ or ‘chair yoga’ on YouTube. For more mobile seniors, the US National Ballet School even has simple dance routines for older adults (nbs-enb.ca/Sharing-Dance/Bring-DanceInto-Your-Home).
For the seniors we love, it’s vital that this time of social distancing doesn’t become a time of social isolation. Having online activities to look forward to can help bridge the gap during these challenging days and provide much-needed mental and physical stimulation to those in need.
For a more extensive list of online activities for your parents or family to enjoy, check out our ElderConnect site at: elderconnect.ca
For more info on the Eldercare Foundation or to donate, visit: gvef.org, call us at: 250-370-5664, or email: tom.arnold@viha.ca.