The Need and Importance Of Proactive Healthcare Solutions For Elderly During Coronavirus Pandemic Situation

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), older people are at higher risk from COVID-19 owing to the physiological changes that arise with the aging process. Also, the decreasing immunity levels expose senior citizens to be highly susceptible to getting infected and contract the COVID-19 disease. This also impacts their psychological health. Children need to take proper care of their senior citizens in the house to keep them safe. This article focuses on the measures to secure psychological health during COVID-19 and also the role of proactive healthcare solutions and online health coach consultations for the elderly.

Psychological health measures for elders during the pandemic

It is easy to safeguard physical health with masks, hygiene and sanitization but what about psychological health? COVID-19 is not just about physical health impairments but also psychological health impacts. OnlyMyHealth spoke to Dr. Rachna Khanna Singh who is currently heading the Department of Holistic Medicine and Psychology at Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon about how elders can keep their psychological health in place during this pandemic? Here’s what she has to say. “Elders should be kept away in a peaceful situation as they are very important and susceptible. These are five points that need to be taken care of.”

1. Explain to them about the ongoing situation and health concerns related to that- most people are finding a challenge to talk to their parents. We need to explain the exact situation at hand medically.

2. Prevent overuse of media and digital media tools- Watching news all day long develops negative thinking. Watching news some times a day is enough.

Also Read: Spending Time With Elders May Save Them from Dementia and Depression

3. Avoid unnecessary Whatsapp forwards- Most messages these days talk about the number of deaths or cases and spread only negative news on social media. They should always look at the positive side as the number of recoveries is important.

4. Clear their insecurities- Senior citizens easily panic about a situation. It is important to keep their anxiety at bay. Lockdown has given us the opportunity to spend the most time with families. Give your seniors the attention they miss on normal days. They crave for your love and time, give that. You can also follow tips given by Psychiatry experts.

5. Help them become tech-savvy- Just like how adults spend their time on digital devices to stay connected with friends and family, make your seniors tech-savvy so that they can also connect with their loved ones over a video call, WhatsApp groups, etc. This would help them stay active and positive when they are alone.

The Importance of Proactive Healthcare Solutions

Amidst the ongoing lockdown, the situation demands a lot more care. It is only through proactive care as a priority for senior citizens, instead of ‘reactive care’ for by empowering them against the various unforeseen uncertainties of life that we as one community can sail through this situation. Top health insurance providers like Aditya Birla Health Insurance are finding different ways to keep senior citizens health during this pandemic. ABHI is concerned about the safety of the elderly population and therefore, they have taken a step forward wherein the Health Coaches from Aditya Birla Health Insurance will connect with elders aged 60 years and above personally to assist them in creating and maintaining a balanced lifestyle during the lockdown. The Health Coaches gauge different parameters of the individual's overall health i.e. lifestyle, diet, exercise, sleep, social life, regularity in medication & treatment and advise them with tips to create a balanced routine and stay healthy. Through this initiative, we aim to reinforce the philosophy of ‘Health First’ and adopt a healthy lifestyle even during such critical times.

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Mr. Mayank Bathwal, Chief Executive Officer, Aditya Birla Health Insurance said, “Customers are our extended family; and with the Health Coach Program, we are reiterating our belief that an individual's healthiest version is their best version. Amidst the ongoing lockdown, the situation demands a lot more care. It is only through proactive care that we as one community can sail through this situation. Our Health Coaches, therefore, connect with the senior citizen customers and their families and also our other customer with chronic health conditions to evaluate their lifestyle, current health issues and assist them with a health advisory on better lifestyle management to take care of chronic conditions namely asthma, hypertension, etc. to stay safe. Through this initiative, we aim to reinforce the philosophy ‘Health First’ and help out customers to adopt a healthy lifestyle during such critical times.”

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