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Yeah, I posted earlier - I don't know if it's a motivator or a fearmonger - but -
Above age 80 - you will still live 90-95% of the time, even if you catch COVID.
I am not certain - but I think there are probably many things that have a 5 to 10% chance of killing anyone over 80 today.
No offense to anyone - just playing the stats.
It's a bit weird - your odds of dying if you catch it pretty much match your overall odds of dying anyway. The thing is - your odds of catching it are pretty good (eventually) and living through it isn't always a picnic.
So caution is still warranted. Wash your hands. Don't touch your face. Avoid being close to people. That'll do it for just about everyone. Wearing a mask has shown some limited protection FROM the virus - but not a great deal. But if the OTHER GUY has a mask on - then you can relax a little.
I'd say - look at it like this: If you were at the store, and a guy looked ill, and frankly said, "STAY BACK - I have the flu."
What would ya do? At your age - do you push your luck? Flu kills LOTS of "old" people. Or do you wisely stay back...and maybe wash up at home? Right. So right now, just assume everyone has the flu, and you'll be fine.
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My parents are 82 and 83. I was more than happy to do the shopping and dropping things off they needed but my mom can't stay at home. I'd go to the store for them in the AM and then she'd have dad take her in the afternoon for something she forgot to have me get. They go out to the country for carmel corn. I will get things if I'm out and they need anything but they won't stay at home. They wash their hands and wear their masks so I'm not worrying about it.
It would do your mom good to get out and get some fresh air.
My father is 81 and has lung problems. We've been protecting him at home and getting all of his necessary supplies.
But I think we have to expect this to be a very long road. I believe the "mask culture" is here to stay for awhile and I want my Dad to get used to the procedure of wearing a mask and sanitizing things on his own since he's used to being independent and is ready to bail.
So today he went with me to the store. He put on his mask and we wiped things down. When we were done shopping we used hand sanitizer. When we got home he washed his hands after putting things away.
Ideally I'd love to protect him indefinitely and keep him out of the stores but I know he won't accept that.
Personally, I can't see any reason not to go to an outdoor garden center at a non-busy time. I went to Home Depot last week at about 2 p.m. I wore a mask. There was maybe one other person outside there.
Inside was different. Over 50% of the people were not wearing masks, however no one crowded me the way they do at the grocery.
Costco was much worse but now they at least make people wear masks.
I'll be 75 soon. No kids to try to control me, which at times seems like a good thing. LOL
My father is 81 and has lung problems. We've been protecting him at home and getting all of his necessary supplies.
But I think we have to expect this to be a very long road. I believe the "mask culture" is here to stay for awhile and I want my Dad to get used to the procedure of wearing a mask and sanitizing things on his own since he's used to being independent and is ready to bail.
So today he went with me to the store. He put on his mask and we wiped things down. When we were done shopping we used hand sanitizer. When we got home he washed his hands after putting things away.
Ideally I'd love to protect him indefinitely and keep him out of the stores but I know he won't accept that.
No, it comes down to quality of life, being cooped up at home all the time wears on both your physical and mental health, and as we get older those effects are more dramatic. My mother always wants to go food shopping even though I wanted her to stay home or in the car (FaceTime on phone things in store, too complicated) and at first, I tried to keep her in a cocoon. She really wasn't liking that, so we go out to stores with masks, gloves, and do the sanitizing and making a habit of it so it comes naturally. We have to respect what older people's wishes are and how they want their life to be, they know what the risks are but we can't treat them as if they are children.
Could you take her to a smaller nursery, early in the morning when they first open? She'd be able to get outside and have an outing, without being in the hustle and bustle and possible contagion of a big box store.
Since your mom is not mentally incapacitated, I figure you need to let her make her own decisions about this, but guide her to safe alternatives.
No, it comes down to quality of life, being cooped up at home all the time wears on both your physical and mental health, and as we get older those effects are more dramatic. My mother always wants to go food shopping even though I wanted her to stay home or in the car (FaceTime on phone things in store, too complicated) and at first, I tried to keep her in a cocoon. She really wasn't liking that, so we go out to stores with masks, gloves, and do the sanitizing and making a habit of it so it comes naturally. We have to respect what older people's wishes are and how they want their life to be, they know what the risks are but we can't treat them as if they are children.
I also believe that the risk of catching the virus was a lot higher when the lockdown started. At the time no one wore masks, and the stores were packed with shoppers and employees with little procedures to social distance or sanitize. There were no set protocols yet. Now many stores have all of these procedures and the general public is educated with them. That's why I think it was more important to protect my elderly father at the start than now. He can get used to these protocols and start to go out on his own.
I also believe that the risk of catching the virus was a lot higher when the lockdown started. At the time no one wore masks, and the stores were packed with shoppers and employees with little procedures to social distance or sanitize. There were no set protocols yet. Now many stores have all of these procedures and the general public is educated with them. That's why I think it was more important to protect my elderly father at the start than now. He can get used to these protocols and start to go out on his own.
That's a great point. I remember those days- back when the government was saying "don't wear masks" and even Good Morning America was spouting that nonsense.
Now when I visit the store, everyone wears masks, the carts are sanitized, people stay 6 ft away. Of course it's still possible to catch the virus, but the risk is significantly reduced. It is much safer now than it was in the wild times of the early days of this virus.
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