Protecting Senior Health in the Time of Coronavirus

(Photo : Protecting Senior Health in the Time of Coronavirus)

Although many normal aspects of life are no longer available during the coronavirus pandemic, including such mundane things as riding an elevator, you can still enjoy a full life. 

If you're a senior, the most important thing you can do is follow Dr. Anthony Fauci's advice. The Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recommends seniors stay at home. In an NBC Meet the Press interview, he said, "If you are an elderly person with an underlying condition, if you get infected, the risk of getting into trouble is considerable." 

While at home, there are many things that you can do to take care of yourself and improve your well-being. 

Apply for Medicare   

If you have not yet applied for Medicare, don't miss out on enrollment. Medicare is still available during the public health emergency. While Social Security offices are closed, many services are open to access by phone or the Internet. You can also look for a Medicare plan finder online . 

Stay Fit at Home

Although you can go to parks or beaches, it's not advisable. In most instances, too, fitness centers remain closed. This, however, doesn't mean that you can't exercise. You just have to be creative. 

Here are some ideas: 

• Use soup cans as dumbbells. 

• Climb up and down stairs to replace a treadmill.

• Use long hallways for walking. 

• Buy exercise equipment you need online. For instance, you can buy resistance bands online and then check online videos on how to use them to exercise your entire body. 

• Do exercises that don't need any equipment at all, such as yoga, tai chi, or qigong. All you need is enough space to move around freely. You can push furniture in a living room to one side and  use the carpeted space for an improvised fitness studio. Set up your computer or television to follow the movements of an instructor. 

Studies have found that older adults will rapidly lose their physical endurance and strength if they stay inactive for too long. While younger people can quickly regain their strength after an interminable stretch of sedentary living, it takes seniors much longer to reverse the effects of physiological weakening caused by insufficient movement. 

Stay Mentally Active 

The belief that mental abilities decline with age is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Many famous thinkers--writers, artists, and scientists--have remained mentally sharp and alert into old age. 

A perfect example of someone who has kept his high acumen in later years is Noam Chomsky, the American philosopher, linguist, historian, cognitive scientist, and social critic. Although now in his early 90s, he still gives TV interviews to explain current affairs. 

Mental changes that appear age-related, like memory loss, are actually not the result of aging, but of lifestyle. Mental acuity is similar to physical fitness. If you don't exercise, your muscles get flabby. If you don't read, study new things, pick up a musical instrument, play intellectually challenging games, or work on solving puzzles, your perception, analytical ability, and memory decline. 

Stay Socially Engaged 

During the coronavirus, you may find yourself alone, but that doesn't mean you have to be lonely. 

While you are at home, you can do the following social things: 

• Schedule virtual visits with family and friends using Zoom or Skype online or Facetime on your smartphone. 

• Play cards with others or join in board games with groups on websites that offer such games. 

• Join online discussion groups or online book clubs. 

With a little ingenuity, you can still do many proactive things during the pandemic. You can still apply for Medicare, stay mentally and physically active, and connect with others by phone or via the Internet.