COVID & The Elderly: How The Pandemic Has Affected The Most Vulnerable

The pandemic has affected people like nothing else. No one was spared, and even if a person was not directly affected by the virus, the impact of how it changed society surely affected every person. However, one category of people who are also affected greatly that people often tend to forget about is the elderly of the community. While the younger people quickly changed themselves as per the new normal, the elderlies faced immense difficulties due to the lack of help and the lack of proficiency in transitioning to the digital ways of the new normal.

Why did the pandemic affect the elderly so much?

India faces an immense dearth of qualified caretakers and healthcare providers willing to work in old-age homes. With a majority opting to work in cities and hospitals, the elderly in such establishments are left bereft of essential care and services they need daily. And while this is an ongoing problem, it reached a peak amid the pandemic, which saw a lot of the elderly population being affected. The elderly are among some of the most vulnerable groups in society. With reduced immunity and increased susceptibility to diseases, the virus greatly affected the older population. As per studies, about 80% of the deaths due to the virus were observed in the elderly aged 65 and above.

However, when talking about how the pandemic affected the elderly, the primary impact can be observed in the case of the elderly living in old age homes. There is a crucial need for skilled and capable caretakers, nursing professionals, and specialised doctors in such establishments. However, since healthcare providers also come into contact with multiple people every day, it is easy for them to contract the disease, which further isolates the elderly patients in such homes.

63-year-old Mark, who is a Borivali resident, has made it his life’s mission to feed hundreds of elderlies who are alone. Not all of them are poor but most of them don’t have anyone to look after them.

In the absence of such workers, the quality of life for the elderly has decreased exponentially. This is especially for those incapable of caring for themselves and those with mobility issues who rely entirely on the care providers for every activity. As a result, reforms can be crucial to ensure that the same situation observed amid the pandemic does not repeat itself.

How has the situation changed now?

Currently, there are more than 700 old age homes in India that work on a free model, a pay-and-stay model, and a hybrid model. Although the dearth of caretakers has always been there, and it is not expected to improve soon, there is an overall positive change in the way people approach old age homes and the kind of services provided in such establishments. Although COVID introduced them to some massive threats and challenges, mainly regarding the lack of qualified healthcare workers, increased contribution from the community is expected to improve the care provided to the elderly daily and keep them better prepared for similar crises of similar scales.

Vijay Bhrigu is determined to give the abandoned senior citizens a life of happiness and comfort. He wishes to feed them warm meals and also build another old age home in Ambala.

Old age homes saw contributions in the form of an immense number of fundraisers on platforms such as Donatekart, where the people understood the plight of the elderly in such establishments and supplied them with essentials to help them. By supplying products like medicines, adult diapers, food, recreational items, and much more, such fundraisers helped the elderly spend their time in a productive manner surrounded by all their necessities, enabling them to get through the tough times successfully.