108 – Live QA: Aging Health in COVID Times

In This Episode:

Dr. K and her guest experts Dr. Nicole Didyk and Richard Caro, PhD, answer BHWA reader questions about aging health in COVID times.

To watch the video version, click here.

Questions and issues they addressed during this call included:

• The trade-off between safety and other benefits that older adults value
• How to think through making an activity or situation “safer” rather than ask “is it safe?”
• How to maintain physical and mental wellbeing while confined to the home, or to a locked-down facility
• When it’s likely to be “safe” to resume routine health appointments, including eye and dental visits
• How the pandemic situation might affect recovery from hospital delirium
• What we know so far about the course of COVID in older adults who develop symptoms
• What palliative care at home for COVID might look like
• The challenges that nursing homes are currently facing

Related episodes: 

106 – Coronavirus Updates & Suggestions (3.27.20 Edition)

105 – Coronavirus Updates & Suggestions (3.20.20 Edition)

068 – Interview: Putting Older Adults at the Center of Technology Conversations

Related Resources:

More from our guest experts:

• From Dr. Didyk:
  • Her YouTube video about whether to take an older relative out of a facility during a pandemic
  • The Wrinkle’s YouTube Channel
  • Worksheet and Decision Guide about moving out of a senior residential facility during COVID
• From Richard Caro:
  • Technologies for Sheltering-in-Place, from TechEnhancedLife.com
  • About the Longevity Explorers

Other related links and resources:

• Uptodate.com: Evidence-based Information on COVID-19 (free!)
• GeriPal: COVID in Long-Term Care
• What is a pulse oximeter
• CDC: Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19
• Center to Advance Palliative Care COVID Response Resources – see info in the symptom management section.
• PrepareForYourCare.org
  • Get their easy advance directives for almost all states here.
  • Get their COVID resources, including their PREPARE for COVID-19 Tip Sheet here.
• TheConversationProject.org
  • Conversation Guide to be prepared in the time of COVID-19 & other resources
• POLST.org
  • Learn how POLST helps frail and seriously ill adults get better care, and find out what is available for your state.

Services and Products:

• Institute on Aging Friendship Line
  • This free service provides trained volunteers to talk to older adults who are lonely or depressed; they are also qualified as a crisis line for anyone contemplating harming themselves
• TrueLink Financial Debit Card
  • This card was designed to help vulnerable older adults and others reduce the risk of financial exploitation.
• Care.coach (formerly Gerijoy) virtual companion service for older adults
  • This service provides companionship, medication reminders, and more. We have had a Helping Older Parents member give us very positive feedback about it recently.
  • If you would like to be part of our Better Health While Aging group trying this service at a discount, please let us know via email. You will get 20% off the set-up fee (usually $279) and ongoing monthly charge (usually $279/month). (BHWA is forgoing any commission in order to enable a larger discount for our community.)