From 55 to 105 years old, elderly people make up a large and diverse section in our society. Yet in these corona times they’re frequently talked about like they’re one homogeneous group, says gerontologist Dominique Verté. “A lot of elderly people are perfectly able to do a lot of things.”
Professor in social gerontology Dominique Verté is the chair of the Social and Cultural Adult Education Sciences department and teaches at the Psychology and Educational Sciences faculty. He has researched the needs of elderly people in Flanders for many years. Below are his tips to elderly people to survive these lockdown times.
Dominique Verté’s tips
1. Make sure you have a reason to get up every day
It could be as simple as having to take the dog for a walk. Or, you could pick back up an old hobby like knitting or solving crossword puzzles. What’s important is that you have something to do that you enjoy. A constructive use of time will also give structure to your day.
2. Don’t do everything together with your partner, if you have one
Be sure to engage in some activities separately so that you’re not around each other the entire time. Otherwise, you are guaranteed to get in each other’s hair. Also try to maximise the space in your house or apartment so that you give each other physical distance.
3. Try to cook if you’re able to
Try to prepare dishes that take a bit more cooking time now that we all have more time on our hands given the lockdown measures. You’ll get a sense of satisfaction from seeing the fruits of your cooking and baking efforts. And this will also keep you busy for a couple of hours, making it another great way to give structure to your day.
4. Reach out to your loved ones
A lot of elderly people have the tendency to wait for others to get in touch. But don’t wait around; you should learn to be proactive and reach out to your family yourself. Of course keep avoiding any and all physical interaction, so no visits to the grandchildren.
5. Keep moving
Don’t let the lockdown measures get in the way of regularly exercising. Of course, stay inside as much as possible, but be sure to keep moving and to for instance keep doing your physiotherapy exercises. Cycle or walk around in your neighbourhood if you’re able to. This is important to keep both your mental and physical health up.
How well have you followed your own advice the past few weeks?
“As the chair of our department, I’m really busy at the moment because a lot of things have to be addressed and solved remotely due to the corona measures. But I started baking last week – something I’d wanted to do for a long time, but never have had the time for. I’ve already baked a wholemeal bread, white bread and a local, sweet bread known as “koekebrood”. What’s also nice about baking is that you quickly begin ringing family and friends for tips and advice when you run into problems. So it becomes another stimulus to keep in touch.”