Seniors urged to stay especially cautious
My husband and I sit at home day after day, looking out at the street and wondering: When can we get out and do things?
With both of us in the 65+ category (him more than me), we have been diligently heeding Nashville’s “stay at home” order for those 65 and older.
Our months of coronavirus quarantines have been spent with me working at our dining room table, the two of us sitting on our porch or taking a drive to pick up curbside food or to see our grandchildren from a distance.
We are more than ready to get back to our normal routines. We are both aching to play with our grandchildren. I am eager to get back to the office and church and to play tennis again. My husband just wants to go to a store or join his pals for an afternoon nip and conversation.
Even though Nashville’s phased in reopening order now allows for salons, bowling alleys, fitness centers, tattoo parlors and several other enterprises to be open, the continuing order is to “stay at home” for people 65 and older.
So how much longer before we are able to safely go out? And if we do make a bold move to venture out, what is the best — or least risky — way to do it?
When can the 65+ crowd go out?
“You have hit the most frustrating topic there is on so many levels,” said Dr. Victor Legner, a geriatric specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “There are no guidelines nationally or locally.”
Dr. Jim Powers, a Vanderbilt doctor who has specialized in geriatrics for more than 40 years, said just what I didn’t want to hear: “When will it be over? Nobody knows, but I’d say many more months to come. Until people are immunized, (the virus) is with us.”
Powers said he would “err on the side of safety” and urged seniors, especially ones with existing health issues, to take advantage of services like telehealth, grocery and restaurant deliveries and curbside pickup when possible.
He said 85% of coronavirus deaths in Tennessee have been people 61 or older.
“The odds are bad,” he said. “At age 68, I take social distancing seriously and have personally restricted travel and exposure to groups.”
Dr. William Schaffner, professor of Preventive Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University, explained that just because you are 65 and older does not mean you are more likely to get the coronavirus, but if a person in that age range gets it, they are more likely to have complications.
He also emphasized that people
suffering from diabetes, heart disease, lung disease and high blood pressure are more at risk to have adverse effects from the virus. So “take another look at who you are,” as you weigh the decision of whether to go out, he said.
“There is a difference in healthy old and frail old,” he said. “The older you are the more cautious you should be.”
If you do go out, be cautious
“My advice to older adults would be to assume everyone you encounter when you go out can potentially transmit the virus, and act accordingly,” said Dr. James Hildreth, president of Meharry Medical College.
He emphasized that older adults need to be proactive in protecting themselves from exposure because they are at a higher risk for severe disease.
Schaffner agreed, saying, “No matter where you are on the spectrum, if you go out, you need to be cautious.”
He said its a matter determining your “risk tolerance” and doing things to minimize risk, like adhering to staying six feet apart and carrying hand sanitizer.
“If you are going to the store, go in the morning, stick to your list, limit the time in the store, wear a mask. Masks are the new normal,” Schaffner said.
If families want to get together, they need to talk about how to be careful ahead of time, Schaffner said. Discuss if you can be outside, no hugging and if everyone can wear a mask.
“If you want to be completely safe, lock your front door and wrap yourself in Saran Wrap,” he said. “And know that when you open the door, you are opening yourself up to some risk.”
“The bottom line is for people to understand the risk, “Legner said. “Yes, you can do it, but do it with caution. It may take a leap of faith at some point with people weighing the risks.
“At some point we have to get back to being social beings. We should not belittle that need for companionship. Many would argue that it is essential to mental health and emotional health.”
Other risks and dangers
“I think in some cases we are pushing the limit on how long you can socially isolate and not have other adverse effects,” Legner said. “A good thing is that there has been more and more of a push to consider the emotional health of older adults. It is so important.“
Powers agreed, saying that in normal times, he encourages patients to be active and get out and interact with others, but now he tells them to stay home. “There are consequences of isolation. But none of us have any immunity to (COVID-19), so it is best to not put yourself at risk,” Powers said.
“Studies have shown isolation, not just pandemic isolation, but isolation of seniors can precipitate other chronic illnesses,” including diabetes and dementia, said Dr. Bryan Ward, Hospitalist System Medical Director for Ascension Saint Thomas. “It is definitely a concern.”
Ward also said that even though people are being advised to stay in, they need to take care of urgent needs.
The emergency department at St. Thomas has seen a number of cases where patients were reluctant to break their quarantine to go to the hospital for treatment, and their conditions dangerously deteriorated because of the delay. Ward emphasized that people who need emergency care should go to a hospital.