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It's not about letting them go or not. They will do whatever they want. My 81-year-old dad's normally very independent and takes the bus everywhere. When the pandemic started, he reluctantly agreed to let me drive him to buy groceries.
Now that it's been 2 months and people are getting fed up with staying home, my dad has been itching to go back to his routine, which is going out alone. And he finally did that a few days ago. He takes the bus just like he did before the pandemic began. I give him hand sanitizer, he doesn't use it at all. I don't even think he washes his hands when he gets home. He does wear an N95 mask though.
I can understand why your dad wants to go back to his normal routine, we all miss our routines, didn't know it would be missed so much. My mom likes to go out, too and I can't stop her, and she is very active out but got winded climbing the stairs today and I thought I grabbed all the shopping bags, but she had two of them, I wished she would just let me do it because I don't want her to fall or get winded. It is less stressful for me if she just lets me do it. Also, I think older people are more lax with sanitizing and being careful, but I think they are getting the idea, just it's taking a while. They do require some extra training. I tell her about the horrible deaths that Covid sometimes causes, it's not like the flu, which a person could die from, too but Covid seems more vicious. I hope she would be more careful, I try to set an example because I think her generation is not that seriously afraid of germs. She saids I am paranoid and I tell her that we are only as strong as our weakest link. I could be so careful, but if others don't do the same, it doesn't matter. She'll get with the program as time goes by, just this heightened awareness and being careful takes time to become a habit.
Mother is in her 80s and absolutely independent. She has her almost daily volonteer job at a family owned boutique vegetable farm and is at the farmers' market selling. Her English classes and social activities are on hold but she shops and minds her own business
MIL is at a senior home and today it opened for full activities.
Would you think it would be safe if I took her to Lowes one day, first thing in the morning when they open and before it got crowded, so that she could pick out some flowers to plant in her yard or would that be too risky?
I'm thinking if she just stays in the outdoor garden area and away from others, she would be ok especially if that area wasn't crowded first thing in the morning.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks.
my thoughts??? go for it...I wouldn't hesitate, and I do have elderly parents.
My 80 year old mother does her own grocery shopping and today visited a family friend. She did try to keep six feet away, though she didn't wear a mask.
Anyway, elderly people have the same rights as younger people to live their lives as they choose. She and us are perfectly aware that she has a strong chance of dying if she gets Covid - she can't stand being cooped up in her apartment indefinitely, and is willing to take some risks to return to the routine she finds fulfilling and important.
Thankfully even for elderly people with preexisting conditions, the odds are generally very much in their favor that they will not only survive but even avoid ICU or hospitalization. Thank goodness!
And I agree - just because someone is "elderly" (and of course the older I get, the older the people are that that term applies to!) doesn't mean they have dementia or can't make their own choices as long as they are mentally sound.
My husband is a physician and as well as parents in their 70s we have two great friends who are nuns living together outside their community and they re both in their 80s. They are very lucid and active. However, he recommends that they go shopping as little as possible as 40% of people who get COVID-19 and are in their 80s are dying right now. I would suggest you take lots of photos on your phone and your mother can chose the flowers that she would would like to buy.
If elderly people insist on going out please have them social distance and wear a mask. When they return home they should leave their shoes outside the house and remove coats etc. by the front door and outside in any area where germs would have 2 days to die off. Then strip off, put their clothes in the washing machine and have a hot shower putting on clean clothes that they did not wear outside. No exaggeration. They should wear gloves and wash everything they bought with soap. If you saw the horrible death many people endure who are in their 80s and 90s from COVID-19 you wouldn't be cavalier. Please protect them and encourage them to be super vigilant.
Where do you live that 40 percent of 80+ year olds who get COVID 19 are dying? 30 percent (and that's not 40 percent) of the deaths from COVID 19 are in the over 85 age group but that doesn't mean that people over age 85 have a 30 percent chance of dying if they contract it. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ing-fatalities
For some perspective, 40 percent of flu deaths are in people over aged 85.
Pretty sure the death rate for over 75 is around 15 percent (with an 85 percent chance of surviving it). Now, I personally don't want anyone to die of it, but for some perspective, prior to COVID 19, 78 percent of deaths overall were in the over 80 age range. Now it's 80 percent, likely due to COVID 19 deaths. https://www.worldometers.info/corona...-demographics/
Honestly, I have panic attacks when I see frail seniors out in the stores these days. If they can avoid it, they should stay home. I've found ways to socialize with friends and "get out" without risking spreading the virus or catching it.
One friend and I meet regularly for what we call "Car Lunch" where we park with a big space between us and chat for an hour or two. Another friend comes over and socially distances on my porch for chats. I may go for a drive in the mountains today.
My dog training class met last night - the arena is pretty big, and we were all wearing masks except when we were running our dogs, and kept at least 6 feet apart. Hand sanitizer was plentiful and encouraged.
There are MANY other ways to get out and about besides going to a store, where you do not know the people and cannot trust them to follow good practices.
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