Page 11 - Whole Magazine June 2020

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Coping with Isolation for Older Adults
Coping with Isolation fg with Isolation for Older Adultsor Older Adults
Coping with Isolation fg with Isolation for Older Adultsor Older Adults
distancing, so ask your insurance company
adults for more than 60 years, and the about your options.
organization hasn’t stopped during the Stay Safe Learn from the pros
coronavirus pandemic. So find a Meals on Being exposed to the coronavirus is not While isolation might be new to a lot of
Wheels www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org the only danger facing seniors during this us, some people are already
program near you. time of uncertainty. Scammers are active, experts. Astronaut Mike Finke, who spent
Since the pandemic began, more local and you might want to add security or
delivery programs for high-risk safety features to your home now that over a year in space away from his family,
shared his tips for getting through self-
populations have popped up. In New York you’re spending more time there. isolation. He recommends having a
City, for example, Invisible Avoid scams checklist of things to accomplish each day,
Need a senior Hands www.invisiblehandsdeliver.com, Scammers have long targeted older knowing what makes you happy, and
friendly computer? delivers food and supplies to people 65 adults. The key to avoiding their scams is going the extra mile to get along with the
See page 20 and older. Ask your city or local senior staying informed and guarding your people you spend time with.
center if there are programs like this near personal information and property. “The astronauts that don’t let the little
you. We research the latest scams and create things bother them, that don’t get too
Staying physically active while reports to help you stay safe. Check out
Stay Healthy homebound might seem daunting, but our COVID-19 Scam Report as well as excited, and that try to be a good
When you can’t shop at the grocery there are resources to help you get exercise our Medicare Scam Report. teammate,” he says, “are the ones that are
store as often as you’d like, getting the without stepping outside your front door. Stay (accurately) informed the most fun to fly with and make the
right nutrition can be hard. Many Fitness for Medicare beneficiaries During the pandemic, it’s more experience fun for everyone.”
grocery stores offer senior-only hours to If you have Medicare Advantage, there’s important than ever to know what
help keep older adults separated from a good chance you have access to a free government and health officials are doing Stay thankful
people with a lower COVID-19 risk. But fitness program. Normally, these to keep you safe. Unfortunately, there’s a In these trying times, we all need to
the safest way to avoid spreading the programs include gym memberships or in- lot of false information out there, and help each other out. That can be hard when
coronavirus is to avoid crowds of your person fitness classes, but these days knowing how to differentiate between you can’t go to church or assist your
peers too. Here are some options for they’re offering at-home options as well. what’s true and what’s fabricated can be neighbors in person, but there’s still
obtaining food without leaving your SilverSneakers www.silversneakers.com, challenging. plenty we can do.
home. has on-demand fitness videos, Read up on the latest coronavirus- Make face masks
Mainstream delivery services while Silver&Fit www.silverandfit.com, related misinformation Joann’s Fabric Store www.joann.com, is
While many restaurants are closing allows members to choose up to two home with NewsGuardtech.com. Once you leading the charge for making and
their doors to dine-in patrons, plenty are fitness kits per year. You can check your know what information is false, use non- donating cloth face masks to medical
still open for takeout and delivery. Some eligibility for these programs on their partisan fact-checking websites such professionals and others. Through this
even sell meal-prep packages, staples respective websites. as Snopes.org or FactCheck.org to find the craft-supply company, you can get free
like toilet paper and milk, and mixed If your Medicare Advantage plan doesn’t truth deliveries of fabric, patterns, and supplies
drinks. If the business itself doesn’t include one of these memberships, it may Beef up your home safety and security to start sewing masks right away.
deliver, you can use an app have its own fitness program, so check Turning attention to your home’s Share your home
like GrubHub, UberEats, or Postmates to with your insurer. If none of these security can offer peace of mind as Shutdowns and stay-at-home orders are
order meals and have them delivered to programs are available to you, check out well. Safewise.com has a list of tools for affecting local animal shelters. Homeless
your door. Amazon, Walmart, and the free Go4Life exercise videos older adults that includes everything from pets still need care, but there are fewer
Costco also have robust delivery systems www.nia.nih.gov and see their videos free security cameras to medical alert systems workers to provide it. If you have space
in place, and you can order from these on YouTube from the National Institute on to smart pill dispensers. and love to spare, consider adopting or
stores online. Aging. Stay Sane fostering a dog, cat, or other pet. Check
Unfortunately, delivery and shipping Yoga at home When our routines change, and we can’t out North Shore Animal League,
costs can add up. Some stores and Yoga is easy to adapt to any age or see loved ones, we must be extra careful www.animalleague.org, shelters (and
restaurants offer free delivery if you fitness level, and you can do this exercise to care for our mental health. And because partner shelters) to find pets in need near
spend a certain amount with them, and with limited equipment and space. If the pandemic can cause anxiety and you.
Amazon offers free shipping if you’re an you’re new to yoga, try the free videos feelings of scarcity, it can be tough to
Amazon Prime member (which costs from www.YogawithAdriene.com, If maintain our mental wellbeing. Luckily, We can do this
$12.99 per month). But if you just want a you’re looking for higher-intensity there are ways to do that from home too. Avoiding contact with the virus is
few items, consider asking a low-risk yoga, CorePower Telehealth critical for older adults, especially if you
friend or relative to be your delivery Yoga www.corepoweryogaondemand.com, Just like you can talk to friends and have preexisting health conditions.
service for the day. also offers free videos during the family over video calls, many mental Staying home and avoiding contact with
Meals on Wheels and similar programs coronavirus pandemic. health professionals are offering virtual others is hard for us humans because we’re
provide delivery services. Ask your gym counseling appointments. If you’re highly social creatures, but right now, it’s
Few people can afford to pay for Have a gym membership? It might give on Medicare, you can now see a critical to our health. Plenty of companies,
regular delivery services day in and day you access to fitness videos online, so psychologist or counselor via video chat, organizations, and technologies are
out. And many don’t want to deal with check its website or call your trainer to and the appointment will be covered just making it easier than ever to get through
cooking or groceries. For these folks, find out. If your gym’s videos are not your like a regular in-office visit. the quarantine with our health intact. It’s
there are programs to help. cup of tea, check out Eldergym.com, which Many non-Medicare insurers offer up to you to use the resources you can and
Meals on Wheels has been delivering has videos and activities designed similar services to help patients receive ask for help with others. Together, we can
food to low-income or homebound older explicitly for older adults. the care they need while practicing social thrive despite the coronavirus.

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