The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of the government of India along with Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Department of Geriatric Medicine, AIIMS Delhi released an advisory to be followed by all senior citizens and their care givers to protect them during these hard times of Coronavirus spread all over the nation. The advisory was signed by IAS R. Subrahmanyam and released on 13th April 2020.
The advisory was prepared keeping in mind the following persons-
1). For persons above age 60, especially with following health conditions,
2). Cancer
3). Diabetes
4). Hypertension
5). Chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
6). Chronic neurologic conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke
7). Chronic kidney disease
8). Chronic liver disease, such as alcoholic, and viral hepatitis
9). Chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, post tuberculous sequelae, interstitial lung disease.
For senior citizens who are mobile
| S. No. | DO’s | DON’Ts |
| 1. | Clean frequently touched objects such as spectacles. | Go to crowded places like markets, parks and religious places. |
| 2. | Take your daily prescribed medicines regularly. | Self – medicate |
| 3. | Remain actively mobile at home. Consider doing light exercise and yoga. | Touch your eyes, face or nose. |
| 4. | Maintain hygiene by washing hands. Especially before meals and after using washroom. This can be done by washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. | Come in close contact with someone displaying symptoms of Coronavirus such as cough, fever and breathing difficulty. |
| 5. | Sneeze and cough into tissue paper/handkerchief. After coughing or sneezing dispose of the tissue paper in a closed bin. Wash your handkerchief and hands. | Go directly to hospital for routine check up or follow up. Make tele-consultation with your healthcare provider. |
Also have a look at what interesting activities you can indulge yourself in, during the corona lock down. Read here……..https://allaboutseniors.in/2020/03/21/quarantine-chill/
For caregivers of dependent seniors –
| S. No. | DO’s | DON’Ts |
| 1. | Monitor their health regularly. | Keep senior citizens completely bed-bound. |
| 2. | Wash your hands before helping the older individual. | Touch the Senior Citizen without washing hands. |
| 3. | Clean the surfaces which are frequently used including walking cane, walker, wheel-chair, bedpan etc. | Go near senior citizens if suffering from fever/cough/breathing difficulty. |
| 4. | Ensure proper food and water intake by senior citizens. | |
| 5. | Cover nose and mouth adequately using a tissue or cloth while attending on the senior citizen. |
Contact help-line :- +91-11-23978046, if the anyone has the following symptoms:
- Fever, with or without body ache
- New-onset, continuous cough, shortness of breath
- Unusually poor appetite, inability to feed
Read how to get rid of the foreign corona virus in a complete Desi style. https://allaboutseniors.in/2020/03/21/curing-corona-desi-style/
For mental well-being of senior citizens –
| S No. | DO’s | DON’Ts |
| 1. | Communicate with relatives at home. | Confine oneself in a room. |
| 2. | Rediscover old interests like painting, listening to music, reading. | Isolate yourself. |
| 3. | Avoid tobacco, alcohol and other drugs to avoid loneliness or boredom. | Follow any sensational news or social media posts. |
| 4. | If you have an already existing mental illness, call helpline (08046110007) | Spread or share any unverified news or information further. |
| 5. | Make sure to access and believe only the most reliable sources of information. |
Following these very simple steps we can keep our senior citizens safe from illness during this tough time. Moreover, we whole heartedly request all our beloved seniors to take extra care of themselves because you are very special to us.
For more updates on healthy senior lifestyle stay connected with us at All About Seniors.
