PHOTO ESSAY
Old-age home blues: Finding ways to ease alienation during lockdown
It is hard to find a replacement for socialising and family visits to the elderly in homes during lockdown.
As the Covid-19 case count increases daily, staff members at the Tshelo Ke Lesedi Old Age Home in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, are taking extra care to ensure the safety of the aged under their care. A combination of age and underlying health problems makes the residents at the home more susceptible to the virus.
With stringent measures put into place for their safety, some of the elderly don’t seem to understand what is going on. Their social visits from their children and family members were stopped and some of them found have found it hard adapting to life without tobacco products.
Grace Sindane, 89, who has been using snuff since she was young, sat on her bed in her room and complained to caregivers that her snuff was about to run out. When told she could not get more, she became angry but seemed to calm down after caregivers explained why.
Catherine Sepato, founder of Tshelo Ke Lesedi Old Age Home, said: “Before the lockdown they [the elderly] were in good spirits because they were able to receive visits from the family and friends. But with the lockdown their mood changed, they became withdrawn. We had to make them understand what lockdown is and the impact it has on their lives. We explained it thoroughly because we did not want to scare them or make them think that they were being punished or alienated.”
In an effort to take better care of the elderly, caregivers have increased their social activity at the home. They spend more time with the elderly in the form of one-on-one sessions. The elderly are encouraged to talk about their feelings. They also take part in Bible classes and have a dedicated time daily for a light exercise session.
Clinical psychologist Shaheda Khota said: “One of the most important factors for an elderly person to maintain mental health is socialisation. During lockdown, the decrease in socialisation is likely to impact their mood, eating, sleeping, and result in an increase in anxiety, especially since they are unable to see their families.
“Many elderly people may not be mobile and rely on others to take them places, to assist them in getting their weekly shopping done, to be taken for walks. A decrease in these activities, the decrease in social stimulation, and exercise is bound to have a negative effect on their ability to cope.
“We are likely to start seeing an increased risk of depression, anxiety and similar disorders presenting in this population.” DM
"Information pertaining to Covid-19, vaccines, how to control the spread of the virus and potential treatments is ever-changing. Under the South African Disaster Management Act Regulation 11(5)(c) it is prohibited to publish information through any medium with the intention to deceive people on government measures to address COVID-19. We are therefore disabling the comment section on this article in order to protect both the commenting member and ourselves from potential liability. Should you have additional information that you think we should know, please email [email protected]"