Some of us have vulnerable family members during COVID-19--these are family members who have a higher risk of contracting the virus. This vulnerability is nerve racking as you consider these family members for lots of reasons.
First, you don't want your loved ones to get ill, so you do what you can to help them stay safe. Yet, doing what you can never seems like enough with an illness like this that we still don't know a lot about and still don't have a known cure or vaccine against.
Next, in some cases, vulnerable loved ones may not fully understand the illness so when you can't give them a hug or kiss or visit as you usually do, they may feel slighted or lonely since they don't understand the illness.
And there can be a bit of guilt with regard to cases where you might choose to keep yourself safe from the virus and decide to socially distance from vulnerable relatives who are not using caution or getting the support they need.
What do you do about this heavy weight of worry, sadness, and perhaps, guilt, in this regard?
I think that the bottom line is you do what you can while reminding yourself that none of us are super human or can do it all. Cooking and providing meals, completing needed chores while wearing protective gear, and spending time together with appropriate social distancing are all possible ways to help.
Elderly and other loved ones who are compromised remind us that we still have room to go when it comes to caring for the most vulnerable in our society. This pandemic makes us think about the following questions:
First, you don't want your loved ones to get ill, so you do what you can to help them stay safe. Yet, doing what you can never seems like enough with an illness like this that we still don't know a lot about and still don't have a known cure or vaccine against.
Next, in some cases, vulnerable loved ones may not fully understand the illness so when you can't give them a hug or kiss or visit as you usually do, they may feel slighted or lonely since they don't understand the illness.
And there can be a bit of guilt with regard to cases where you might choose to keep yourself safe from the virus and decide to socially distance from vulnerable relatives who are not using caution or getting the support they need.
What do you do about this heavy weight of worry, sadness, and perhaps, guilt, in this regard?
I think that the bottom line is you do what you can while reminding yourself that none of us are super human or can do it all. Cooking and providing meals, completing needed chores while wearing protective gear, and spending time together with appropriate social distancing are all possible ways to help.
Elderly and other loved ones who are compromised remind us that we still have room to go when it comes to caring for the most vulnerable in our society. This pandemic makes us think about the following questions:
- What are the best living situations for our elderly and vulnerable populations?
- What do caregivers in these facilities and roles need with regard to training, fair pay, schedules, and PPEs?
- How can we change work schedules, home designs, and community supports to better care for and protect the elderly and vulnerable populations?
- In what ways can we educate aging adults with regard to making wise decisions about self care and needed supports related to the aging process?
I wish my vulnerable loved ones lived closer to me and I wish they were more open minded with regard to getting needed supports and working together to solve some of the issues they face. That said, however, they are quite independent and continue to live their lives in ways they choose. Few of us want others telling us what to do--we like to live our own lives.
In summary, we must do what we can and be satisfied with that knowing that there is not a perfect solution for this matter. Onward.