"Caring for the health and well-being of our grandparents in times of pandemic" was the name of the virtual discussion carried out by the Human Body Movement Research Group of the Physical Therapy program of the Alma Mater in Cauca, which had the participation of professionals from different specialties of Health Sciences.

 

https://youtu.be/YROkqfZE-L8

 

The challenge - they propose - is to do everything in our power so that older adults are not subject to the risk of catching COVID 19. “What is happening is an opportunity for all of us together as a family to protect this population” says the doctor Liliana Zambrano, Specialist in Family Medicine.

  

The doctor Francisco Bohórquez, whose specialization is rehabilitation, points out that “the older adult, more in this time of quarantine, must carry out physical activity appropriate to his condition. The mobility that adults have contributes significantly to their quality of life”.

 

Sedentary lifestyle at this time constitutes an additional threat to the Covid threat, the panelists emphasize in the discussion. Hence, it must be reiterated that physical exercise in the elderly contributes greatly to a better quality of sleep.

 

For the management of chronic diseases that older adults have, however, the pandemic situation, they recommend that you continue to take the medications formulated by your treating doctor. Relatives or caregivers, in conjunction with their EPS, must facilitate their access to medications.

 

Specialists recommend that everyone, not just older adults, should maintain a life routine: get up early, make bed, open the windows of the house, bathe, exercise, dress well, do not walk in flip flops, eat at fixed times , eat a diet rich in legumes low in salt and fats, avoid daytime sleep and coffee after one in the afternoon.

 

Other recommendations are: reduce high sensory stimulations as night approaches, consume a light dinner, take precautions to avoid falls at home, make proper use of social networks and stay away from toxic news. “The adult, like other people, must lead a normal life. One way for this confinement to be lived in the best way, is that we are busy” indicate the Health Professionals.

 

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=249614186171373

 

In the mental health aspects, the Specialist in Psychiatry, Andrés Dulcey, points out that “at this moment we are all being subjected to a bombardment of negative emotions. Emotions that we must express verbally with the family, so that they do not affect us. The older adult, in a family listening without judgment or questioning, must have the spaces to share what he is feeling ”.

 

This time of social isolation at home should also be used to dialogue more with older adults. They as historians of our family can tell us many anecdotes. Review photo albums with them, play games, and share recipes. The family should provide adequate support for the elderly so that they continue, as far as possible, leading a normal life, it is emphasized.

 

The doctors do not recommend the use of incense sticks, scent candles or burning plants in the houses, since this can be irritating, generating or aggravating respiratory problems. If you want to heat the environment, the best are the vaporizations of water and salt.

 

Faced with the products that are indicated as supposed cures of COVID 19, the Internal Medicine Specialist doctor, Alonso Ruiz, concludes that: “what prevents contagion is actions, not substances. Actions such as frequent and sufficient washing of hands with soap and water, the use of a mask and keeping a sufficient distance between people ”.

 

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Faculty of Health Sciences

Email: fsalud@unicauca.edu.co