The Emotional Toll of Covid-19

Covid-19 has changed us forever.  Even though we're coming out of extreme lockdown now that most of us over 65 have been vaccinated, many seniors are still having a tough time.  Here are just three examples.

A 90+ year old woman in LA has been in for a year, only going out occasionally for groceries or a short walk.  She was invited to dine outdoors at a nice restaurant recently, and was all set to go.  The day before the lunch date, she changed her mind.  She felt going to lunch was just too much for her.  Since Covid-19 she has gone from walking with a cane to using a walker all the time.  She was worried about where she would park, how hard would it be to get the walker out of the car, and how far she would have to walk.  It was all just too much, so she cancelled the lunch date.

Another woman I know who is in her 70's confessed to me today that she feels depressed.  She if fully vaccinated, but doesn't want to leave the house.  Her husband took her out a few days ago to shop, which she normally loves to do.  She walked through the store, and bought nothing.  She didn't even enjoy herself and was anxious to get back home.

I have another friend in her late 60's who hasn't been out in a year.  She is desperately afraid of getting Covid-19.  Now that she and all her close friends are vaccinated, nothing has really changed to her.  She is afraid to go to lunch outdoors.  She will shop for groceries, but with a double mask and a shield.  It is going to be a long time before she gets back to "normal."

These people are not outliers.  Most people are feeling a degree of anxiety and fear, and wonder how it will all end.  Covid-19 has affected us all.  I feel a little bit guilty because I don't have these same feelings.  I, too, have been in for most of the year, but I have tried to keep social friendships up, meeting for coffee in a park, lunch in my own backyard, or a meal outdoors.  Oh, and lots of walking.  I figure I have probably walked about 2,000 miles during Covid-19.  Being vaccinated gives me freedom to get out and do more.  I have several out of town trips planned in the next few months to visit family and friends, and I feel safe doing so.  I think we have to push ourselves a bit to get out and back into the world.  It's easy to stay home with a book or Netflix, but getting out and doing stuff is so worth it.  Always with safety precautions, let's get back to life as we once knew it.