Parenting Your Aging Parents Through Coronavirus
By: Dwight Bain, LMHC, NCC
How do you get aging parents to
cooperate with taking coronavirus seriously when they don’t think they are old?
It’s happening nationally but especially
noticeable in Florida with an older population. Baby Boomer parents, (people
born between 1945 and 1964), who don’t feel ‘old’ even when their driver
license says otherwise. Even though AARP and the Centers for Disease Control
have warned certain populations are at higher risk for this disease, some
youthful senior citizens don’t want to heed this life-saving medical advice.
Is this bravado and courage from the
boomer generation who have seen global wars, recessions terrorist attacks and
natural disasters; or simply a fear of admitting getting older? It doesn’t
matter - greater exposure to coronavirus will set your parents up for the
disease. Social distance and aggressive infection control are necessary to stop
the spread. Not pulling back from crowds of people is unsafe for all ages,
particularly for those over the age of 60.
Many experts, including Jay C. Butler,
M.D., deputy director for infectious diseases at the Centers for Disease
Control in Atlanta urge senior adults to take bold action to protect their own
health in this interactive AARP tele-town hall meeting. https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/tele-town-hall-coronavirus.html?intcmp=AE-HP-LL1
Perhaps share the link with your relatives to open a conversation about
disease prevention.
What can you do to help your aging
relatives?
Stop arguing about opinions and focus on
facts. Find relevant data on the harsh realities of this pandemic at www.Coronavirus.gov or www.worldometer.info to have a fact-based conversation.
Coronavirus risks are not about age;
it’s about protecting health and wellness. Instead of ‘proving’ that someone is
or isn’t old focus on responsible action to add more productive years of
living. Yes, there is such a thing as ‘young at heart’ or ‘you’re
only as old as you feel’ but a positive attitude cannot change actual age.
Avoid
getting drawn into the conversation that other viruses like SARS or MERS or
even the seasonal flu is just as dangerous as COVID_19. University of Texas
Medical immunologist Vineet Menachery says it’s about multiple factors beyond
age, such as immunity, preexisting conditions or chronic health factors. The
more of these variables, the more susceptible to disease and risk of death. He
said, “During the original SARS outbreak the lethality rate for the overall
number of cases was ten percent, but that lethality rate jumped to over fifty
percent in people over the age of fifty.” Why? Dr. Menachery went on to
explain, “As you get older your lungs are not as elastic or as resilient as
when you’re younger. Those kinds of things coupled with any kind of health
issue you might have trend toward a loss of airway function and respiratory function.”
Coronavirus
is an immediate threat, but remember, the seasonal flu remains at elevated
levels across much of the country, affecting an estimated 36 million people so
far this season and resulting in at least 370,000 hospitalizations, most among
those 65 and older, plus 22,000 deaths. The greater the risks of any infection
or disease, the greater the risk to your aging family members as hospitals may
become overwhelmed with COVID_19 patients.
Disease spreads quickly in denial
Finding courage to speak boldly might
shatter the denial of age to urge your aging parents to take social distance
seriously. Perhaps laughter can open up a conversation with your aging family
member. Author Max Brooks took that conversation viral with this Twitter post,
advising people not to kill his father Mel Brooks, Dick Van Dyke and Carl
Reiner https://twitter.com/maxbrooksauthor/status/1239624352305303552
Even though they may not listen to their
adult child, it's unlikely they would be willing to kill #MelBrooks
#DickVanDyke #CarlReiner Show how withdrawal from crowds for a few weeks could
be the way to keep 250 years of comic genius alive. If they won’t do it
for you as their adult child – maybe they will do it for Mel. We will laugh
again better if we all stay healthy. Pass it on.
About the author: Dwight Bain is dedicated to helping people achieve greater results. He is a Nationally Certified Counselor and Certified Leadership Coach in practice since 1984 with a primary focus on solving crisis events and managing major change.
About the author: Dwight Bain is dedicated to helping people achieve greater results. He is a Nationally Certified Counselor and Certified Leadership Coach in practice since 1984 with a primary focus on solving crisis events and managing major change.
To
schedule an appointment with Dwight Bain
Please
call our office at 407-647-7005.
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