How to Talk to Seniors in Longmont, CO and Surrounding Areas About COVID-19 Precautions

Here’s how families in Longmont, Boulder, Louisville and surrounding areas in Colorado can discuss health and safety precautions – including hiring caregivers from a professional home care agency – with senior loved ones during the COVID-19 outbreak

Not only is the coronavirus a health threat worldwide, but it is also likely that this new virus is here to stay until a vaccine is developed.

Seniors and adults with chronic health problems are the most high-risk groups for developing severe complications from the virus, which has naturally left family members feeling increasingly worried about the well-being of their aging loved ones.

One problem that is becoming more and more apparent as the pandemic continues is that many older adults simply refuse to see how dangerous the virus is, declining to change their behavior in accordance with healthcare guidelines.

At Visiting Angels of Boulder County, we understand how concerned you must be. That is why our home care agency prepared the following tips on discussing the pandemic with your loved one and helping them realize the seriousness of the situation.

Inform Yourself about COVID-19

While the coronavirus has constantly been in the news in recent months, there is a lot of misinformation out there. Perhaps your loved one believes in some conspiracy theories or simply does not know where to find reliable facts about the virus.

When starting the conversation about COVID-19 with your loved one, it is important to be well prepared. Read about the virus and use only reliable sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local healthcare departments. This way, you will be able to answer all the questions your loved one has and disperse any myths surrounding the virus.

Understand Your Loved One’s Perspective

At our home care agency, we always advise families to look at things from the perspective of their aging loved ones. Something that may seem natural for you may cause your loved one a lot of concern and vice versa. In order to help your loved one gain a better understanding of COVID-19, you need to discover the reasons for their reckless behavior.

We recommend asking them what they heard about the virus and what they think about the pandemic. Their answers may surprise you – some seniors may believe the virus can do them no harm because they are healthy, others may say they have lived through worse.

Discovering your parent’s reasons is key to developing a strategy that will work.

Starting the Conversation

When talking about COVID-19, you want to persuade your loved one to be more careful and follow safety guidelines. Therefore, you have to be careful as to how you approach the topic. At our home care agency, we recommend avoiding pressuring them or talking down to them, as they are less likely to listen to you if you do not show them respect. Instead, focus on just how worried you are about them and their safety and make sure to address each and every concern they have.

If your loved one is worried about being unable to take care of themselves or get groceries during lockdown, consider hiring a caregiver from Visiting Angels of Boulder County to help them with daily tasks. If your loved one is worried about not being able to see family members, you could show them how to use Skype or use our Social Care program.

Be Open for Two-Way Communication

No matter how the conversation about coronavirus goes, make sure not to damage your relationship. Tell your parent that you are there for them and that you will help them in any way possible.

You may not be able to change their mind during one conversation, but you can talk to them about the pandemic every time you talk, providing them with information on how to protect themselves and those around them.

If you would like to get more information on how our home care agency can help your loved one during this troubling time, please contact our Longmont, CO office today!

Visiting Angels provides in-home care services for seniors in Allenspark, Boulder, Eldorado Springs, Erie, Hygiene, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Lyons, Nederland, Niwot, Pinecliff, Ward and the surrounding areas of Boulder County, CO.