NC officials to senior citizens: Stay home, get healthy, take extra precautions to guard against virus
People over 65 are about twice as likely as younger people to suffer serious illness from the new coronavirus, according to health experts, so Gov. Roy Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, held a town hall-style meeting over the phone Tuesday to answer questions from AARP members.
Posted — UpdatedSenior centers and places that offer social activities and information to senior citizens are closed down during the pandemic, which has left a lot of seniors looking for advice specifically tailored to them.
Aside from staying home as much as possible and washing their hands a lot, the best thing seniors can do for themselves right now is to stay as healthy as they can, Cohen said. They should work to get their blood sugar and blood pressure under control and quit smoking, she said.
"This is about individual actions," she said. "We can do things to make ourselves healthy right now."
Cohen said it’s also important for seniors to manage their mental health, as isolation can lead to depression. So, reaching out to friends and family by phone or video chat is more important than ever, and those who can should take regular walks outdoors.
"Not being able to hug your grandkids is a tough thing," Cooper noted, adding that he's aware his statewide stay-at-home order "has caused an emotional chasm for many."
"Clearly, this pandemic has turned most people's lives upside-down," he said.
Not everyone can stay home all the time, however, because people need food and medication. But Cohen said trips to stores are especially risky for senior citizens.
"If you are someone who is older or with multiple medical conditions, I would say going to the grocery store does pose a risk. I would say this is where we can help each other out," she said.
"Being able to answer certain questions like, if I need to get my prescription drugs, who’s around me to help me? Who can I talk to every day? Who can I ask to check in on me every day just to make sure that I‘m doing OK?" Olender said.
If seniors have to go out, Cohen suggested taking extra precautions, such as wiping down surfaces other people may have touched.
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