Home » Issolation
Tag:

Issolation

Aging

Benefit of Social Media for Seniors

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

The fastest-growing demographic on Facebook, seniors are flocking to social media like never before. And it’s not just Facebook that’s seeing an influx of the older generation. More and more over-65’s are also joining Instagram and Twitter.

Not only do people use social media to catch up with family and friends, and share their lives with people they don’t necessarily see every day, but it’s also increasingly becoming how people view and keep up with news and current affairs. The same goes for the senior demographic.

Seniors on social in numbers

In Australia, 89% of online consumers use social media. This is up from 79% in 2017. While not the largest group on social media platforms, seniors are still signing up in hoards. Of the above number, 30% of people aged between 50 and 64, and 24% of people over the age of 65 access social media sites at least once a day.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the population is now sitting above 25 million people. And according to the Yellow Social Media Report, there are 15 million Australians using the platform. That’s 60% of the Australian population.

While the majority of those users are between the ages of 25 and 55, the 55-plus age group still represents a decent 2.8 million users, with 4 in 5 of those surveyed by Australian Seniors reporting that they use social media platforms.

The benefits of using social media

Various studies have shown that the internet, and indeed, social media, has become an important tool in reducing isolation, loneliness, and depressive symptoms in those who use it, including seniors. If that’s not a large enough benefit, here are some others.

Keep in touch

Social media is a wonderful way to keep in touch with people around the world. Whether it’s sharing pictures, sharing stories or sharing news, millions of people log on to social media platforms every day just to see what’s going on in their network of family, friends and even acquaintances. For seniors, it’s also a great way to find people they may have lost touch with over the years and to keep in touch with their grandchildren. Social media really has revolutionized the way people connect.

Stay up to date

For many social media users, it’s not just about staying in touch with family and friends, it’s also about staying in touch with global news and current events. Today’s generation of seniors follows news sites, sports teams and even people of interests on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. For many around the world, regardless of age, social media is where we get our news and often, it’s where news breaks the fastest.

Interaction and entertainment

There’s something delightfully charming about all of those cat videos and why should the grandparents of the world miss out? Whether it’s following an entertainer they love on social media or watching clips from comedians, anyone can be entertained on social media. Plus, there are communities out there based on absolutely anything. Love to bake? Find a baking group and join in on the conversation–they’re happening on Facebook and Twitter.

Be wary

There’s no denying that the benefits of social media far outweigh the benefits of not being on there. Even if it’s just creating an account on Instagram to follow the people you care about, you’re still engaging with those around you. Just remember to never overshare information, especially personal details, always ask before you post a picture of someone, invite and accept friend requests wisely and try to avoid courting controversial topics.

Luke Fitzpatrick

Luke Fitzpatrick is a Forbes contributor and a guest lecturer at Sydney University—in his past, he worked for startups in both South Korea and Australia.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Senior woman standing alone at home
Healthy Living

How Online Support Can Help with Social Distancing

by Kendall VanBlarcom
written by Kendall VanBlarcom

Social distancing is when individuals maintain an increased physical distance from one another. It is used to help communities minimize contagious diseases by reducing the possibility of infection. This is important to our physical health.

The problem is maintaining one’s mental health while social distancing. Humans are social animals, so it feels unnatural to stay away from others. It can underscore feelings of loneliness.

Reach out for personal online support if you feel a lack of social connections is impacting your wellbeing.

Ways People Feel When Isolated

People are unique and they can have different emotional responses to social distancing. But, we are all human. There are common themes connecting how people feel during difficult times. Talking through these emotions with a professional can help to alleviate some of the emotional strain.

  • Anxiety. There can be a lot of fear around a situation that prompts social distancing. If an individual is worried about their health, and the health of loved ones and others in their community, it is natural for a person to have feelings of anxiousness or fear. The situation itself can create anxiety and then, too often, individuals find they have nobody to talk over their fears with.
  • Anger. When people feel a lack of control in their lives, it can lead to frustration and anger. These feelings can bubble up within a person. Then, they may find themselves lashing out at others, family members who call or a stranger at the grocery store. There are healthy ways to cope with irritability. Erupting at others can result in further isolation.
  • Depression. Daily routines can help people who suffer from depression. In many instances, social distancing disrupts those routines. For instance, if someone finds joy from regular breakfast outings with friends, they might find that as they stay home dark feelings grow. Shedding light on these feelings with online support can be helpful.

How to Cope with Social Distancing

Recognize you are not alone, many feel unsettled by social distancing. Once you acknowledge the problem you can seek solutions, from phone calls to online chats.

When you connect with an online counselor, you can find healing through conversation. They can also help you discover ways to improve your life throughout a period of social distance. Suggestions could including breathing exercises or activities such as keeping a gratitude journal or fostering a hobby to boost your mood.

Be kind to yourself and others. Recognize things that are exacerbating any personal stresses. For example, managing the amount of news you watch or read can be helpful. Yes, it can be beneficial to stay informed, but obsessively loading news websites or watching television news channels continually can lead to fearful feelings.

Some people are more prone to having problems with social distancing. This could include individuals who have experienced past trauma or people who have had issues with loneliness in their past.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Seniors & Covid

Virtual Programming Brings New Revenue for Centers

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

“We pulled off an unbelievable come-back,” says Mary Sanchez, a program director in Maryland. Mary’s adult day services center was closed since the outbreak of the coronavirus. In the early months during the closure, her center had lost most of its revenue. Staff were on leave without pay. Senior members were following the stay-at-home advisory, disconnected from their daily programs at the center, friends and caregivers.

“I started to look into virtual programming to sustain some revenue.” Like many of us, Mary tried to use Zoom and Google Hangouts to connect with her members. It has been very challenging for our members to use FaceTime, not to mention Zoom or Google Hangouts. “Finding the link to click, typing in passwords and navigating overcomplicated log-in are discouraging our seniors from participating in virtual programming.”

Knowing that virtual programming is by far the most viable solution to address pandemic loneliness among senior members and to relieve the loss of revenue for her center, Mary started to work with the team at HealthJay on its virtual device the JayPad.

“I was blown away when I learned how simple it is to use the JayPad.” The tablet users can use their voice to tell a Chatbot to place audio or video calls. The center administrator can schedule reminders for members’ daily video classes, therapy, and social activities. Here is the catch – users do not need password nor log-in to participate in any video conference. A pop-up reminder will show up on the JayPad 15 minutes prior to the virtual class. When it starts, the User just taps a “Join Now” button on an Activity Starting popup, and they placed into their virtual group class!

For non-tech savvy seniors, the navigation to place a call can be frustrating. Well, with the JayPad, users can choose from there pre-configured phone book, or use their voice. Now Mary is seeing more normalcy in her daily operations. As the program director, she can once again design programs for her senior members, in a virtual way.

“Our members are craving for interactivity after months of absolute isolation. With a tablet device that has a big screen, no navigation and no typing, I am hearing excitement that I haven’t heard for a long time.”

The JayPad is a 10-inch Android tablet. Big screen works. It’s Bluetooth hearing aid plug-in makes it even better with the senior population. HealthJay also offer a mobile app with QR code scanner for meal deliveries and transportation usage. It has a web admin portal that allows Mary and her colleagues to manage their virtual activities for free. As a member of the National Adult Day Services Association, her center got 100 free JayPads with a one-year subscription and a minimal prepay plan.

Mary is now planning to use the Social Group Bingo Game which is available on the JayPad for her members. “Hey, its touchless, safe and fun! They will love it.”

Entertainment is an integral part of the JayPad. Users can play group games with friends, and chat with their loved ones any time without the trouble of spam calls.

Mary has hosted her first ever virtual “Sunday Gardening” class last weekend when she was outdoor at a nursery, teaching senior members to pot plants at home. Her instructor will host the first ever virtual Friday night bed-time story reading hangout.

“With virtual programming, we are having so many “first-ever”. It’s great for our center because we can offer programs on weekends without even coming into the center. It’s extra revenue for us.”

Content is provided by HealthJay Inc. (www.healthjay.com)

 

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Seniors & Covid

Seniors Use JayPad to Stay Connected During Covid

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

It has been a long summer. I was in San Francisco visiting our daughter in the end of May and I got a call informing me that my husband David had fallen in our house in Maryland and fractured a hip. I was desperate to find a flight back home to be with him. Of course, much of our lives had changed due to the ongoing coronavirus.

At the age of 79, it was too risky for me to fly home when most parts of America were having shortage of face masks at the time. David had an operation and then stayed at a nursing home for rehab with bans on all visitation. After the operation and all the ordeal, David was alone lying in a bed in a single room. This is the first time in our 50 years of marriage that we were apart for more than a month.

By mid-July, our son Jon was allowed to visit David outside a window. Jon would turn on his cell phone and use FaceTime to let me see David. The first time that we saw each other after two months of being apart, we both broke into tears. To show our gratitude for the short visits, Jon brought over cupcakes each time in hope that we would still have a next chance to visit as the coronavirus persisted on.

Staying-at-home in San Francisco at my daughter’s condo, I was haunted by the same loneliness and isolation that was frustrating David. This pandemic has sent many elderly into absolute isolation. Being in the high-risk age group to contract the coronavirus, most elderly and their families are diligent in physical distancing. We have been kept inside facilities and homes alone, sometimes without interacting with a person for days. We have heard horrible stories about elderly dying from the coronavirus alone without having a last chance to see their family.

David was discharged from the facility in early August. Soon enough, we realized that like many elderly, David was confronting the impact of isolation including depression, loss of sleep, and anxiety. He was home alone until I made my way home three weeks ago. During his stay-at-home recovery, we were extremely worried that he might fall again without immediate rescue.

Virtual video calling is the only solution for us during this darkest time. David and I would see each other when Jon visited him. Although David has a tablet, he was never tech-savvy enough to manage video calls. He has trouble finding the buttons to tap, and he never seemed to manage those video conferencing apps that require a password or log in.

On David’s 81st birthday a few weeks ago, when his Adult Day Services center introduced to him the JayPad made by HealthJay Inc, our lives changed for the better.

First of all, David can use the JayPad with no trouble. He talks to the voice command Chatbot to control audio and video calling. His center schedules reminders for his daily therapy and social activities which popup on the JayPad. He just taps a “Join Now” button from activity reminders and he is placed into his virtual group classes! Remember how difficult it was for him to navigate to FaceTime? David tells the JayPad to place a call for him without need to navigate. Magic. It’s just magic. Seeing David play group Bingo with his friends reminded me how much we had missed his laughter.

In addition, for an elderly who has a history with falls, JayPad’s HELP button is a handy function. He can press the button for any help that he needs, linking him instantly to Jon who is enlisted as his care circle member. He chats with our grandkids every night now and joined Baby Suzy’s 2-year old birthday party on video. With JayPad’s virtual programming, we are apart but not alone.

The moment when I got home, I knew that life is never going to be the same again. Our friends are adjusting to the coronavirus new normal. It’s been a long and lonely road. With the help of technology like the JayPad, I started to believe that the pandemic might have fast-tracked elderly to a tech-enriched path.

Content is provided by HealthJay Inc. (www.healthjay.com)

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Lonely senior woman
Conditions & Treatments

What to do if Depression Returns

by Kendall VanBlarcom
written by Kendall VanBlarcom

If you have lived through depression, it is normal to worry about symptoms returning. When you are wondering what to do if your depression comes back, know that there is help available.

When Do Symptoms Return?

Depression, anxiety, worrying and fear are experienced differently by different people. For some people, they can go through a difficult period and then recover. For others, there are relapses, periods where they feel fine—good, even—and then periods where symptoms return.

There are times in life that are sad or upsetting. We all have days when we feel down and it is important to recognize that a bad day does not mean you are relapsing into a period of depression. But, if your feelings of sadness continue, know there is help available and reaching out to talk through issues can help.

Can I Stop Depression from Coming Back?

While there are no guarantees what the future holds, there are ways to take care of yourself and be gentle with yourself.

For example, if you have experienced depression in the past, take note of what symptoms you experienced. From there, you can feel and sense if those early signs are returning.

Family and friends can also be helpful in recognizing symptoms. If someone close to you tells you they are worried about you, this could be a sign it is time to seek healing strategies, some of which may be possible on your own. Ask yourself what has helped your mental health in the past. Maybe you have benefitted from getting more exercise, or from being more active in your community.

Also, know that you can always reach out to a counselor, a doctor you trust, or a mental health provider for help. Everyone has problems, criticizing yourself for the situation you are in will not lead to results. You are not at fault and recovery is an option.

Make Yourself, and Your Health, the Priority

Often recovering from a mental health issue is not simple. For many, it is a long journey. You need to focus on both your physical and mental health. Your whole being is connected and the more you take care of yourself the less vulnerable you are for a relapse.

Focus on positive thoughts and don’t bombard yourself with a bunch of would’ve, should’ve, or could’ves. Obsessing about the past is not productive. To feel good, you have to learn to accept what you cannot change and move forward. Talking to a counselor or therapist can help you to leave the past behind and change thought patterns that are causing you pain.

Then, you can hopefully adopt a feeling of gratitude. An attitude that will allow you to recognize and celebrate the good things life has given you rather than obsessing on the negatives.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail