The specter of hunger and malnutrition looms.
Media attention during the coronavirus health emergency has focused squarely on older adults living in nursing homes. But the challenges faced by community-dwelling older adults cannot be ignored, according to Judith Graham of Kaiser Health News.
“The specter of hunger and malnutrition looms, as sites serving group meals shut down and seniors are unable or afraid to go out and shop for groceries,” she writes.
Community-dwelling older adults are also likely to have their health put at risk when non-urgent doctors’ visits and chronic illness checkups are canceled during the pandemic. Social distancing could lead to isolation and loneliness. And if in-home caregivers are unable to work, older adults could be left without needed care.
Graham details how several organizations are dealing with these unprecedented challenges.
Meal Delivery: AgeOptions, a AAA in Cook County, IL, normally serves 172,000 older adults. But it recently shuttered 36 dining sites, 21 memory cafes for people with dementia and their caregivers, and programs at 30 libraries. “The agency is scrambling to figure out how to provide meals for pickup or bring them to people’s homes,” reports Graham.
Virtual Outreach: Mather, a LeadingAge member in Chicago, is working with AgeOptions to expand “Telephone Topics,” a call-in program for seniors now confined at home and at risk of social isolation. The program features group discussions, lectures, meditation classes, and live performances.
Calling on Informal Caregivers: Mount Sinai at Home in New York City serves about 1,200 homebound older adults each day. Agency staff are now checking in with every client to collect contact information for relatives and friends who could step in if aides become unavailable.
Video Visits: The University of California San Francisco’s Care at Home program is trying to hold video visits to assess whether clients are symptomatic, before sending caregivers to their homes. It’s been difficult. Some patients don’t have the right technology, aren’t able to use it, or aren’t comfortable using it.