The time in COVID-19 lockdown for older Australians has been dull, oppressive and felt much longer than the few months it has been. Theirs was the hardest hit generation with the double jeopardy of the virus’ severity in their age group and the physical and mental side-effects of isolation.
Known as the Silent Generation, our oldest Aussies did the right thing for themselves, their loved ones and their country but at a high personal cost that for many still lingers. Some have experienced major health consequences such as deconditioning leading to falls, depression and/or exacerbation of chronic illnesses.
They self-isolated earlier and did not venture far beyond their verandas till much later than their younger counterparts. And while other age groups enjoyed a feast of new connections and opportunities in the virtual world, being “together alone” was not accessible to many older people, leaving them just alone.
We should congratulate the oldest among us whose self-restraint helped us to get through the hardest part of the pandemic, although sadly there were some who did not avoid the dangerous and deadly virus. Today with the easing of restrictions, some are not sure what comes next for them as they emerge from the surreal lockdown and its side-effects. They remain at greatest risk as a generation. Even in the relative safety of Australia shopping, essential outings and catch ups with friends or family become uncharted journeys for those experiencing the new normal for the first time. It’s time for older people to return to fuller living again, but they must navigate the subtleties of how to live more normally, but not naively, in a COVID-19 post-pandemic world for at least another year.
Across society there are people with high and low safety thresholds. Some picnickers in the park sit shoulder to shoulder in large groups, while at the next table they sit apart and wear masks. So despite their greater risk, we can expect older people to adopt the new normal as individually as anyone else.
So how does COVID-19 safety look today for our oldest Australians? Keep calm, wash your hands, sanitise… Wear a mask? Gloves? Get help to order groceries online? When should you go to the doctor, the dentist, have that health check? If younger people don’t always follow the new rules, why should people for whom change is much harder do so? They still struggle to believe what has happened and are growing tired of drawing the short straw. So what might happen if they just went ahead and did things the old way because there is so little certainty or consistency right now? Maybe, just like everyone else, they need to be able to process what has changed.
It’s time for the rest of Australia to stand up for our oldest citizens, to support them as they have done for us even when we didn’t know it. The antidote to their harsh isolation is connection – listening and understanding are great ways to start. The Silent Generation has lived long and survived many challenges, they are knowledgeable and surprisingly good for a chat. Like any form of support, the underlying relationship is crucial and they rarely want charity. Spending a little time and building a bridge of communication with an older person is meaningful and gives back a little of what they have sacrificed this year. It takes time for different generations to open new communication pathways, but if we have taken any lessons away from this pandemic, one of them is definitely about giving back. Maybe it’s just talking, or understanding how the isolation has affected them or even helping them to get a bit better at technology. Connection is the way back for older Australians, and the way forward.