Wow. What a time. The government and health industry are working incessantly to bring together the best heads to continually figure out the correct strategy to protect the health of our nation, and in particular its most vulnerable, to stay safe from COVID 19.

Part of that strategy has this week announced that visitors to Aged Care be limited to 2 at a time, with school groups and overseas visitors banned. These measures are vital to protect the health, and lives of our precious Elders, but they also of course bring to bear the mental health concerns of socially isolating so many who are already so socially isolated for much of the time ( social isolation can be as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day). 

 Following advice from NSW Health, Heart and Soul Story immediately called a stop to our face to face visits to Aged Care for the Seniors and Teens Empathy Program we have been running with Bupa Aged Care and are set to run with Opal Aged Care from April. Given the aim of the Seniors and Teens Empathy Program, to Bring Community Back Together, is the exact antithesis of the necessary ‘social distancing’ measures being encouraged across the globe, Heart and Soul Story will be working with teachers, students and staff at Opal and Bupa Aged Care to come up with ways to keep the relationships & connection between the young and old in alternative methods to face to face contact. ( A quick search on Google trends shows that until around the 1st of March this year, ‘Social Distancing’ was a basic flatline of a search term, it has climbed steadily since.) 

This week we have already been keeping up the connection with letters written and pictures drawn by students to be delivered to residents. One of those students was proud when she finished her letter and actually commented “ That’s the first time I’ve done that, I usually just write texts!” …. But of course, we are going to need to do more, as we need to do when any flu or virus hits, and Aged Care’s are forced into lockdown mode. We need and are in discussion with the Aged Care’s to be working on innovative technological solutions of course, but do we also need to look back to taking the time to teach our students the patience of scribing words of encouragement and love in a good old fashioned letter, (and have them emailed through if not through good old Australia Post ?) 

To continue reading this article, please go to How Do We Keep Our Elders Socially Connected and please join the conversation

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