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My grandma is 80 years old. She is already having respiratory issues, so she is scared that she might be affected by the coronavirus. All-day, she watches the news about the coronavirus, which is not much affecting younger people as much but being a huge concern for elderly people.
After each day, she is becoming more and more stressed out.
I tried to convince her that there's nothing to worry about.
But still, she is talking about the death rate of elderly people who have affected COVID-19. Studies have shown that stress may lead to other health problems. So, I'm worried about her health.
Can anyone share some tips to ease my grandma's Coronavirus Anxiety?
My grandma is 80 years old. She is already having respiratory issues, so she is scared that she might be affected by the coronavirus. All-day, she watches the news about the coronavirus, which is not much affecting younger people as much but being a huge concern for elderly people.
After each day, she is becoming more and more stressed out.
I tried to convince her that there's nothing to worry about.
But still, she is talking about the death rate of elderly people who have affected COVID-19. Studies have shown that stress may lead to other health problems. So, I'm worried about her health.
Can anyone share some tips to ease my grandma's Coronavirus Anxiety?
does she live alone with a spouse or in long term care? Her contact with others is key in the chances of her being infected.
Maybe. I am reluctant to give advice that may actually lead to her death.
It's a fact she could catch it. And it's a fact she's more likely to die of it than you are (probably).
But the "deadly" ness isn't the main problem - it's the "catchy" ness. It's killing so many people simply because so many people catch it - not because it's especially deadly.
If your grandma isn't afraid of catching the flu - she shouldn't worry too much more about this - as the death rate for elderly flu victims is also high. Lots of things at her age have a high death rate. I'm not sure that's a real comfort, but maybe you can spin it to something positive for her.
My grandma is 80 years old. She is already having respiratory issues, so she is scared that she might be affected by the coronavirus. All-day, she watches the news about the coronavirus, which is not much affecting younger people as much but being a huge concern for elderly people.
After each day, she is becoming more and more stressed out.
I tried to convince her that there's nothing to worry about.
But still, she is talking about the death rate of elderly people who have affected COVID-19. Studies have shown that stress may lead to other health problems. So, I'm worried about her health.
Can anyone share some tips to ease my grandma's Coronavirus Anxiety?
First, acknowledge that there's something to be concerned about, don't dismiss it. She feels vulnerable about her age in general but this is focusing it. Its natural. I often think part of what plays into someone's anxiety is how much effort they spend trying to convince others there's a reason for it. They may not feel others believe them, so they try harder, which increases the anxiety.
While her own personal chance of getting Covid-19 might not be very high there is something to worry about. Remind her of little things she can do or currently is doing to avoid exposure and how effective those simple things can be. The everyday things she's done so far to stay well. Its worked so far, right? Her risk may be going down now that the rate of infection is declining. What does she do now? Staying home, not being around others who are sick, hand washing, using a mask when she's shopping, having things delivered to her house, other family members taking precautions when they visit, etc.
The news is full of terrors, but there's good news as well as bad. If she relates how high the risk for elderly folks is, counteract it with statistics on how low the actual infection rate has turned out to be. Does she live with you? Does she live in a retirement facility? On her own? If you know when she tends to sit down and watch the news maybe find ways to interrupt that. Phone calls from you or friends, visits (I know...but you can keep it brief and use precautions), changing the subject when she starts in on it, telling stories, finding silliness in the news, helping her recall better times, getting her out of the house away from the tv. Send her DVDs, treats. Distract her with nicer things. Remind her of the positives. Help get her mind off it. If she needs anything from her doctor suggest getting it. She could be tested if she wants that.
Maybe what would also help is not sharing YOUR anxiety about her.
Last edited by Parnassia; 06-05-2020 at 05:32 PM..
OP: If your grandma has been taking Vit C and D etc remind her that her immune system is fairly good and not to worry but if she has not, then I can't offer help. I'm 82 soon but have a strong system and know I'm in good condition. Maybe you could have her start taking some C, D and zinc but maybe not. Many older folks are very low in Vit D. The constant worry isn't helping.
She’s right to be concerned. It’s far deadlier than the flu, and there’s no vaccine. I would acknowledge her fears and reassure her that it’s not necessarily a death sentence. The majority of people her age do not die from it. But help her develop a plan/process to maintain her self isolation until the worst of the pandemic has subsided.
My father is 89 and in a memorycare unit. I am terrified of him getting it because he would be scared and confused, and that’s not how I want my dad to die.
Can you convince her to watch the news less? Do other things with her time? Yes, she is at risk, but she doesn't need to remind herself of it every minute of the day by watching and reading every little thing on the news-- that's how plenty of people are killing themselves with anxiety over this. She knows what the precautions are and is presumably following them, and that's the important thing for her to know about this, so there's no need to keep looking at the news constantly to find out every time another person died or that 20-year-olds are having X symptom or the precise particulars about what the virus does in the body-- it's not productive.
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