Do you have older family members living alone during the Covid-19 outbreak? Here are some wonderful suggestions for decreasing social isolation among seniors while maintaining physical distance:
- Snail mail (Write letters to children, grandkids, longtime friends or strangers in need)
- Schedule daily or weekly phone calls, texts, email, FaceTime, Zoom, Facebook
- GrandPad (tablet designed for seniors; a good option if people can afford it)
- Read to grandchildren over FaceTime
- Volunteer from home by making phone calls
- Play your favorite games online
- Take short neighborhood walks and wave to neighbors
- Make artwork to hang in your windows for neighbor kids to enjoy
- Decorate your door, outdoor plant/bush or mailbox with something colorful (change it up weekly)
- Place a teddy bear in a front window and move it weekly
- Gardening
- Online book or chat groups
- Virtual tours, museums, concerts and plays, such as those listed here and here
- Watch live-streaming worship services and submit prayer requests online
Source: Bobbi Matchar, Director of the Duke Dementia Family Support Program