loneliness

HOW SENIORS CAN STAY CONNECTED WITH THEIR FAMILIES DURING THE HOLIDAYS AND NOT BECOME SOCIALLY ISOLATED

By Marcel Gemme

Photo courtesy Revera Inc

November 28, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- The pandemic is in full swing across the United States, and health officials are advising families to rethink holiday plans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age among older adults, with older seniors at the highest risk. There are also other factors that can increase your risk for severe illness, such as having underlying medical conditions. Social distancing and taking added precautions as seniors should not mean social isolation. It is essential to stay connected with our loved ones.

Seniors living in retirement homes, assisted living, or independent living are some of the hardest hit. Many families have been unable to see their loved ones in-person and have had to stay connected virtually. Other families have been able to see their elderly loved ones; everyone’s circumstance is completely different from the next person, and everyone has had to adapt to something new. Moreover, if you decide to travel, there are certain steps to take to ensure your safety and the safety of the people you are visiting. 

Simple Ways for Seniors to Stay Connected During the COVID-19 Pandemic:


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

BEATING THE HOLIDAY BLUES

By Nancy White

I’ll have a blue Christmas without you,

I’ll be so blue just thinking about you.

December 5, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--Elvis Presley aside, the holiday blues are nothing to sing about.  For many the holidays are not a time of cheer, but of dread, exhaustion and even depression.

What distinguishes the holiday blues from cases of severe depression are not the symptoms – they’re similar – but the duration.  For those who are vulnerable, the blues tend to arrive just before the holidays – in anticipation – and fade when the calendar turns. The symptoms generally are a lack of interest in usually pleasant activities, sleep disturbances, appetite changes, agitation, anxiety, feelings of guilt or difficulty in concentrating.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.