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as lockdown extends, isolated seniors are 'collateral damage'
the effects of loneliness are most pronounced among seniors who were already frail and isolated, but the lockdown has been cruel to healthy, active people, too.
may 4 2020
3 minute read
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by matthew lapierre
as lockdown stretches toward the two month-mark, isolation is taking a heavy toll among isolated seniors.
the coronavirus responsible for the global pandemic, sars-cov-2, finds weaknesses in frail immune systems. older people are generally more vulnerable to its infection.
health officials have urged seniors to stay put. leaving home is dangerous, they warn. the virus is invisible. it could be anywhere. but after weeks with no visits and little interpersonal contact, experts say a different invisible enemy emerges.
depression and anxiety are common among older quebecers according to dr. josé morais, the director of the division of geriatric medicine at mcgill university.
the virus is dangerous, but so is isolation, he said. during the lockdown, morais and his staff are calling patients to check in. some have their families to take care of them, to go grocery shopping, to call them to say hi. others don’t.
without visits from care workers or family members, loneliness can descend to such a level that it becomes intolerable, morais explained. “they don’t understand why they should be kept in their apartment or their houses,” he said. “they really have anxiety that can manifest itself by deterioration in the way they cope and are functioning in the house.”
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as anxiety mounts, an “acute confusional state” can develop, morais said. it’s called delirium. “the stress doesn’t allow them to assemble their ideas clearly and then they are very very confused, often very suddenly,” he added. delirium patients often require hospitalization.
delirium and other loneliness-related health problems are increasing. “we are seeing it in our phone calls,” morais said. “as the length of isolation is increasing, we’re starting to see this collateral damage.”
the effects of loneliness are most pronounced among seniors who were already frail and isolated, but the lockdown has been cruel to healthy, active people, too.
retired nurse pat niazi, 74, lives in pointe-claire. normally, she volunteers at several community organizations, but because of the virus, she can’t. neighbours in her apartment building are more reclusive. facetime calls with her family and phone calls with friends have largely replaced in-person interaction.
friends and acquaintances are also more susceptible to the virus, adding to the stress. a woman niazi knew, another retired nurse, died recently of covid-19 at a nursing home in verdun. “she didn’t deserve that,” niazi said.
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at home, she is frustrated by a constant barrage of bad news, including the revelation that the virus had penetrated the hospital where she used to work: the lakeshore general. “little things bother me more,” she said, “and i can’t concentrate to read or do some of these daily things; even housework, i can’t even do it. i’m finding i’m just too anxious, i suppose.”
isolation is a problem among older adults at the best of times, according to dr. david conn, co-chair of the canadian coalition for seniors’ mental health. stuck in lockdown, with nothing to do but mull over grim headlines, leads to anxiety, particularly among older people who are more susceptible to the disease.
for some, loneliness and depression can lead to suicide. older men are particularly at risk of attempting it, conn said.
britain in 2018 appointed a minister of loneliness, he noted. “that speaks to how seriously that can be an issue for people,” conn said.
those who work with seniors are trying to help them fight the anxiety and isolation. organizations like the yellow door, which operates community programs meant to reduce social isolation, aren’t doing house visits anymore. instead, volunteers are calling more than 150 seniors each week, executive director kaitlin fahey said.
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at villa beaurepaire, an apartment complex for autonomous and semi-autonomous seniors, the shutdown order in mid-march silenced what was a bustling community, according to kate coulter, vice-president of the residence’s board of directors. family visits, social events and daily communal meals stopped. residents grew lonely. without frequent outings, some grew weaker.
so, staff overhauled the building’s security camera network, which was connected to all the residents’ televisions. they began internally broadcasting bingo, uplifting news segments and exercise classes. the response has been positive, coulter said. “i suspect we’re going to get really good feedback,” she added.
ultimately, being a good neighbour is the best antidote to isolation, said morais the geriatrician. “we should feel compelled to check on our neighbours,” he said. “we should be spontaneously knocking at doors and greeting them, asking if they need anything. offer to bring groceries if they don’t have anyone else to do that. this is what is needed.”
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