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COVID has turned my granny (88) in to a little old lady. How are other people supporting older people in getting back out of the house?

1 reply

AnaadiNitya · 17/08/2020 14:27

I’ve seen her every week since the beginning. I take her shopping and sit in the garden on a fold up chair I take. I’ve just watched her deteriorate before my eyes.

Precovid she was active in the pub darts team, community bingo three times a week an every other day out shopping and trips out with the OAPs, went on cruises.

She had three bouts of pneumonia last year which she fought off so she was very nervous about this.

She actually broke her back a very years ago and had a mobility scooter - which she refused to get on as she said she didn’t want her legs to wither.

She has hardly been out at all except to maybe walk around the square in front of the house for a bit of exercise.

Whilst I was doing her shopping today the till server said that they had seen her in the shop in her scooter. Whilst I’m glad she is venturing out I feel incredibly sad she didn’t feel she could walk the five minutes to the shop. Shes been an incredibly active woman all her life. When I got to her house and we was sat in the garden talking I could see a slight tremor in her arm, she just looked really frail.

I’ve just ordered some physio bands and senior exercise to try and build her strength back up. I’m going to take her to her old shopping places she likes on Friday, just to nip to the bank, sit for a coffee then back in car.

Is any one else experiencing similar? What are you doing to help them get out of the house?

OP posts:
Abraid2 · 17/08/2020 14:37

My mother, 82, was shielding because of having had blood cancer. I have been encouraging her to go out and about as much as is safe and sensible for this very reason: I could see her losing confidence and fitness. Frankly the risk of serious Covid is almost balanced by the risk of depression for some old people. We have invited her to stay several times for weekends and encouraged meetings with friends. I also encourage her to do her own shopping.
We all went to a pub for Sunday lunch and she really enjoyed it.

Although she’s had blood cancer she is actually fairly fit and her mind is still sharp. It would be tragic to accelerate ageing. What’s the point of not getting Covid but rapidly declining and needing more NHS help because you lost fitness or mental faculties?

We are fortunate that she and we live in fairly non densely populated areas, though.

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