The global pandemic known as COVID-19 has had detrimental effects on many lives as the population has to adopt new practices to ensure safety for themselves and those around them. The virus has imposed an ample amount of issues for people all over the world to deal with, and to deal with said issues in an extremely hasty and timely matter. While the world is taking drastic measures to battle the virus COVID-19, remembering to offer help to the elderly in nursing homes that suffer from the effects of mental illness is of utmost importance; the faculty of resident nursing homes should be supporting and teaching the tools of online social communication such as FaceTime and Zoom, offering mental health support groups, and promoting outside activities so that elders will receive the help that is vital for maintaining positive mental health. Even though it will take extra time for the healthcare workers to give these tools to elders, it is imperative that they are offered for the longterm effects on residents’ positive mental state. Offering this mental support to elders is a pressing issue that must be addressed and changed to help those who are suffering greatly in this stressful pandemic.
Most people in the twenty-first century have a strong need and desire to uphold close relations with friends and family members that they care immensely about; but with the COVID-19 pandemic causing the urgent need for the population to keep socially distant from other people, that has proven to be somewhat difficult to do in many cases. One of the largest demographics of people that struggle to find a way to connect with family and friends are the large amount of elderly in nursing homes that suffer from mental illness. According to an article published by The Lancet “Santini and colleagues recently demonstrated that social disconnection puts older adults at greater risk of depression and anxiety.”(Richard Armitage, and Laura B Nellums, 2020) Meaning that many people in nursing homes that are suffering from mental illness need the help and support of healthcare workers more than during COVID-19. A fantastic way to battle the negative effects of elders self-isolating is with the aid of healthcare workers and nursing home faculty showing residents how to use social communication apps such as FaceTime and Zoom to communicate with loved ones. In an article published by the US National Library of Medicine, it was found that patients that were taught how to use social communication apps by the nursing home employees, had a huge improvement in their behavior and mental health.( Sanjana P Padala. et al, 2020) By using services such as Zoom and FaceTime, it can help elders residing in nursing homes a chance to connect with family and friends and help many in retaining their social connections that they rely on for their own positive mental health. These apps could also open up options for mental health resources such as online therapy for elders to utilize and benefit from. If the employees working at nursing home residencies took the time to show elders the tools for social communication via online applications, it would help immensely in boosting their mental health and would give them outlets for social communication while maintaining a social distance.
Offering an outdoor exercise schedule to elders in nursing homes could also give elders something to look forward to every week. Many elders have had many plans ruined by the COVID-19 pandemic such as weddings, family reunions, or graduations. After having all of these important life events changed, offering weekly outside activities may give them something to look forward to once more. By healthcare providers encouraging elders to exercise outside, it can help in reducing the anxiety caused by COVID-19 in elders suffering from poor mental health, and give their bodies and minds healthy outlets to move in a time of stress.
Hello, my name is Giovanna Tognoli and I have two minutes to tell you that while the world is taking drastic measures to battle the virus
COVID-19, remembering to offer help to the elderly in nursing homes that suffer from the effects of mental illness is of utmost importance; the faculty of resident nursing homes should be supporting and teaching the tools of online social communication such as FaceTime and Zoom, offering mental health support groups, and promoting outside activities so that elders will receive the help that is vital for maintaining positive mental health. Some may say that the essential workers that are employed in nursing homes are already over taxed and overbooked; they simply do not have time to focus on something as insignificant as mental health for their patients. However, there is evidence that by supporting mental health for residents that suffer from mental illness will actually show positive growths in their mental and physical health. As seen in many articles that residents who maintained their positive mindset also resulted in changes in their appetites, more mobility, and had such a vast behavioral improvement that they were able to take care of most of their own needs. And now fellow scholars, I invite you to try and support those residing in nursing homes as much as you can with the current pandemic. Remember to offer as many resources as you can if you know anyone in a nursing home such as a family or friend by giving your time and an ear to listen and support them in anyway you can.
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