Away From Home? 5 Tips To Support Your Parents During Lockdown!

Worried about your parent’s health during a lockdown? Indeed, the people who have been the hardest hit during the lockdown are senior citizens who live alone. Since it was announced suddenly, air and train services were called off abruptly. Many people living away from home have not been able to return to take care of their elderly parents.

If you are living in another city or state, you must be worried sick about how well your parents are coping with the lockdown. Here’s a list of things you need to do to make things easier for your parents who are home alone during the lockdown.

1. Order Their Groceries Online

Why are the elderly more vulnerable to COVID-19 than youngsters? Because their immune system is weaker. That is why your parents shouldn’t go out at all during the pandemic. If they go to grocery stores, they might be exposed to the virus.

But they need their food supplies. What should you do? Order online of course. Ask your parents to make a list of foods they need. Make sure they put in vegetables, fruits and dairy because these foods are necessary for strong immunity.

Now place the order on any online delivery platform and add the address of your parent’s home. This way your parents will be able to stock up fresh supplies as and when necessary.

2. You Can Order Medicines Online Too

If your parents are on medication, they must not miss out on a single dose, especially if they have health conditions like hypertension, diabetes, kidney disorders and heart problems.

Procure a copy of your parent’s medical prescription and order the medicines online. Place a fresh order at least a few weeks before the current stock of medicines runs out. Please remember that like you, thousands are ordering online and there could be slight delays in deliveries during the lockdown.

Ensure that they have basic medicines with them for fever, headache, joint pain, acidity, constipation, antiseptic lotion, nutritional supplements and lots of band-aids.  

3. Purchase Other Household Essentials

It’s not just food and medicines that your parents will need. They also require

• Soaps
• Body wash
• Hand wash
• Shampoo
• Body oil & hair oil
• Moisturizer
• Aloe Vera gel
• Mosquito repellent

Purchase these items online in bulk so that they last longer.

4. Cooking Gas And Bills

You can also place an order for cooking gas cylinders for your parents online.

Many seniors pay bills (electricity, cable) offline. They also go out to get their phones recharged.

But fortunately, thanks to technological advances, all of these can be done remotely and online. So, go ahead and pay the monthly bills for them through mobile apps and recharge their phones online as well.

Giving emotional support with regular phone calls and video calls are also important apart from these in blog. The mental health deterioration in COVID times with depression rates in elderly have increased due to isolation.

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD(Pediatrics)

5. Get In Touch With Volunteer Groups

Other than online shopping, is there anything else you can do?

In almost every city, NGOs and volunteer groups are willingly shopping necessities for seniors. If you know of such a group in your parents’ neighbourhood, contact them and give them the list of things your parents need.

If there are essentials you can’t purchase for your parents, these groups may be able to help you.

Supporting your parents to order medicines through online delivery channels and helping them to get the required medical assistance needed by keeping handy a list of essential medicines and contact for nearby hospitals will be helpful in such difficult times.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D. in Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology

What Else Can You Do For Your Parents?

Now that the essentials are taken care of, you need to think about how you can uplift their spirits.

Your parents, who are alone, would be anxious and worried right now. Stress and anxiety can have negative consequences on their health. So what should you do to cheer them up?

• Call them multiple times a day. They should know that you are thinking of them always. Enquire if they are eating healthily, taking their medicines and exercising at home.
• If they are familiar with the technology, call them on Skype. Let them know, you will be with them soon.

• Transfer money to your parents online for emergencies.
• Ask your neighbour to visit your parents to check on them.
• Consult with your family physician to ensure that they are available during emergencies and keep their contact numbers handy.
• Make a list of all the emergency contact numbers such as the family physician’s number, the ambulance, the fire station number and the local police station number and send a copy to your parents so that they can easily access them in times of need. It is a great way of taking care of your parents.
• Maintaining good relations with your neighbours since they live the closest to your parents and can come to help if they are in some kind of a problem.
• Encourage them to adopt a pet if they are up for it. Lockdowns can be testing times when a companion is greatly treasured. Spending time with a four-legged friend improves mood and keeps thoughts of loneliness at bay.

Your parents need your help now. It’s time to be responsible adults and do everything we can for our parents.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

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