Social isolation and loneliness are creating a serious public health concern as senior citizens are not able to get outside of the house regularly during the pandemic. Director of Client Services at Western Illinois Home Health Care, Amanda Powell, states sticking to a daily routine is important:
“You feel better when you get up, get moving, and go through a daily routine. Your day goes much faster too. Have a regular scheduled breakfast time, do some stretching, and do some exercising. It does not have to be running a marathon, but walk a few laps around the house or maybe take some canned goods and lift weights while you are sitting in your recliner. Just gets your blood circulating. Then reach out. If you don’t normally make phone calls to your friends, make phone calls so that you can talk to those people that maybe you are not seeing on a regular basis like you used to,” Powell informs.
For more local resources or to receive a daily friendly phone call, reach out to Strom Center.