Call Your Grandma: Seniors and COVID-19 Lockdowns

Undoubtedly, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the lives of many Canadians from coast to coast. Students have had to adapt to the new realities of virtual learning and many employees now find themselves working from home. These are just two of the countless ways the day-to-day lives of Canadians have changed since March of 2020. 

Legislation, restrictions, and guidelines put in place in an effort to stop the spread of the virus and encourage social distancing have also meant significant changes in the lives of seniors across our country.

For a segment of our population already found to have increased levels of social isolation, (approximately 24.6% of Canadians over the age of 65 currently live alone), social distancing policies limiting contact to those within your household can disproportionately affect the elderly.

Luckily, some provincial governments have taken the living situation of seniors, as well as other individuals who may currently live alone, into consideration when drafting guidelines regarding social distancing. The Ontario Ministry of Health states those living alone “can consider having close contact with one other household you trust.” The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control has taken a similar approach, stating “if you live alone, you can spend time with one or two people who live in a different household who are part of your core bubble.”

The unique experiences of individuals across the country throughout the past several months have varied greatly. Both of my grandmothers, Alice and Yvonne, currently live alone and have also found themselves needing to adjust many aspects of their lives. I recently gave them a call to ask how they’ve adapted to these unprecedented times. 

What has been the most significant change for you?

Alice: I come from a large family, I have 9 other siblings, so social distancing is a foreign concept. Drastically reducing the amount of people I can spend time with has been the most significant and hardest change for me. I miss going out to eat with my sisters and attending my grandchildren’s sporting events, whether it was a hockey game, karate tournament, or whatever else they had going on that week. 

Yvonne: Being able to pick up the phone to call one of my children or grandchildren to meet them somewhere for lunch is something I really miss. I’ve had to learn how to use technology to stay connected and recently got an iPad for my birthday to help with this. I am now using it to stay in touch with everyone through Facetime, Facebook or whatever new app the grandkids help me download.

Have you picked up any new hobbies?

Alice: Not quite a new hobby, but I’ve been baking a lot more bread lately to give to family and friends. My granddaughter has also introduced me to Jackbox games; we play over Zoom every once in a while, and it’s a lot of fun! Living in an apartment, I’ve also tried to stay active by going on more walks, I’ve just ordered some Nordic walking poles. The nice thing about walks is that I’m able to do it with a friend or sibling socially distanced outside.

Yvonne: I’ve been able to use my iPad and computer a lot more and learn how to use them to keep in touch with everyone, especially family living out of town. It’s interesting to think how different everything would be if the pandemic would’ve taken place back when I was your age, all this technology you guys are using didn’t exist back then. We didn’t have the internet or websites like Zoom that you’ve been using for school and work. 

What are you most looking forward to once we are back to ‘normal’?

Alice: I’d love to have a nice brunch out with the sisters, go to one of my grandchildren’s sporting events again or even just have a big get together with my family – hopefully sometime in the near future. 

Yvonne: I’d love to go to the beach and have a nice big picnic with family, or even head over to Chapters to pick up some new books. Most of all I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again and not having to worry about social distancing or masks, I always forget those darn things at home.

While it may still be a while before we’re back to ‘normal’ (whatever that word signifies in a post-COVID world), there are many ways to stay connected in the meantime. For more tech savvy grandparents, who may already be connected on various social media platforms, make sure to take advantage of the free in-app video chat services many of these platforms offer. Family Zoom or MS Teams calls are always fun too; different households can log on and share a meal or play a game together. A favourite in my family is Jackbox,.

Unfortunately, some seniors may not have friends or family who they are able to stay in contact with. Luckily, many community programs and schools across the country have launched projects to help reduce social isolation for those who may not have other individuals to connect with. 

A middle school in B.C. has recently paired up with an independent living facility to establish a pen-pal program between the students and seniors. There are also multiple “friendly-caller” programs across the country where community members regularly call seniors providing them with “company, companionship, and a connection with their community”. For those who find themselves with some free time, lending a hand to one of these programs is a great way to help reduce social isolation for seniors in your community while maybe even making a new friend.

While we can’t be together in person right now, we can all still be here for each other. Whether through video chat, online social platforms, or a good old fashioned phone call, there are countless ways to stay connected.