Staying Safe, Staying in Touch for Seniors’ Month
Peter Jurgan, a patient with dementia in St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s seniors mental health program, interacts with his daughter over a virtual visit.
Excellence in care for seniors continues all year-round at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, but in June, as we mark Seniors’ Month during a pandemic, it’s never been more important to reach out to, and engage with, older adults.
“Social contact and activity are not only major determinants of mental health, but also physical wellbeing and quality of life,” says Dr. Jonathan Crowson, geriatric psychiatrist and head of service for seniors’ mental health at St. Joe’s.
With social connection making a lasting impression on wellness, St. Joe’s is highlighting the creative and compassionate ways our teams have been keeping our most vulnerable patients safe, and in touch, over the course of COVID-19.
A window, a phone, a tablet…
St. Joe’s healthcare professionals and volunteers are helping reduce the impact of social isolation while visitor restrictions are in place at our hospital to curb the spread of COVID-19, and to keep our patients, staff, and the community safe. We have been:
- Setting up window visits for long-stay patients and their loved ones upon compassionate grounds, special needs determined by care teams, and in instances where a patient’s care team is available to support the visit.
- Providing inpatients with access to hospital-supplied mobile devices loaded with video-call software to stay in touch with loved ones while in hospital. Teams assist to trouble shoot technical issues and keep everyone connected.
- Linking long-stay patients with a team of dedicated St. Joe’s volunteers who are happy to engage in friendly, virtual visits.
- Redesigning inpatient recreational programs, such as larger group activities, to include smaller, one-to-one, or virtual sessions.
Connecting in the Community
While social bubbles have made staying in touch easier in a time of physical distancing and self-isolation, Dr. Crowson says it’s important for seniors to continue to expand their circles. His advice for staying connected in the community?
“One thing we can do is help seniors use technology to reach outside of their bubble, and spread social contact further,” he says.
For those who are physically able, Dr. Crowson also recommends getting outdoors – while practising physical distancing – where risk of COVID-19 transmission is lower.
“It’s a great way of getting face-to-face contact,” he says. “Plus, sunlight on your skin and exercise has both mental and physical health promoting benefits.”
Staying connected the old-fashioned way, over telephone, “snail mail” or by sending a thoughtful care package, are also easy and effective ways to Stay Safe, Stay in Touch with older adults in our community.