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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, M ar ch 26 ,2 02 0 | 10 KEEP CALM! globeproductions.ca …and Wash Your H ands! Please stay safe! Your friends at Seniors homes across the country have tightened visitation hours and broad- ened restrictions for the el- derly as Canada's older pop- ulation proves to be at the highest risk of contracting a fatal diagnosis of CO- VID-19. "We know now that you're at a higher risk if you're older than 60, espe- cially if you have other con- ditions like diabetes or are immunosuppressed, Said Alison Thompson, a profes- sor of drug safety and health services research at the University of Toronto's faculty of pharmacy. "Ev- eryone younger than 60 should do what they can to ensure they aren't creating more risk." Thompson and Nathan Stall, a geriatrics specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital, share how people can help the elderly navigate these perilous times. Here's what to do and, importantly, what not to do: LIMIT VISITATIONS Anything you can do to help the elderly maintain social distancing is crucial, said Thompson. This in- cludes limiting your own contact with them. If the person you know is in a retirement home, you might consider staying home. "We know there's a symptomatic transmission of the virus, so just because you feel okay doesn't mean you aren't transmitting the virus yourself. It's not worth the risk." Some senior care facili- ties have closed visitations completely anyways, said Stall. But you should still be sure to find alternative ways to stay in contact. USE TECHNOLOGY The best way to keep in contact with an elderly per- son you know is to use tech- nology, said Stall. "Use Fac- eTime, Zoom, whatever you need to in order to make sure they have everything they need and are feeling okay," he said. Social isolation comes with its own psychological implications, so it's crucial to stay in contact regularly when possible, said Thomp- son. "Isolation isn't good for your health to begin, so making an extra effort to stay connected to older peo- ple at this point and time is a really good idea." TAKE CARE OF CHORES IF POSSIBLE Staying out of contact with others is crucial, so if you can buy groceries for an elderly person you know, or if you can complete other tasks that involve ventur- ing outside, that would be helpful in reducing their ex- posure to potential illness, said Thompson. If that isn't possible, Stall also notes that some stores have opened an hour early to give elderly people time to shop before it gets crowd- ed. CALL ABOUT SYMPTOMS BEFORE SHOWING UP If your elderly parent or grandparent is experienc- ing sickness or mild symp- toms, make sure they call ahead to a hospital or walk- in clinic instead of showing up, Thompson said. ISOLATE YOURSELF For people under 65 years-old, the most valu- able thing you can do for an elderly person is to main- tain social distancing and keep away from large gath- erings, Stall said. "That's the most helpful thing you can do for grand- ma," he said. "Older adults have been victimized into thinking they need to be more isolated than the rest of us, when in reality we need to isolate ourselves to help them. When we panic- buy, when we jam the stores, when we go out on St. Patrick's Day instead of avoiding large groups, we're putting them at risk more than ourselves." HOW TO HELP SENIORS NAVIGATE THE PANDEMIC Irene Krislaty looks out the window from her home in Sutton. As COVID-19 continues to spread around the globe, seniors are most at risk. Advocates are urging the public to stay at home and only go out for essentials. Torstar file photo JACOB LORINC NEWS