Seniors should continue to socially distance amid re-openings

By Garrett Estrada

In honor of May being Older Americans Month, the Associate Medical Director of Southwest Medical Dr. Richard Orr wanted to share some advice for those Las Vegans over the age of 65 that will help keep them safe during the town’s first phase of reopening amid the pandemic. 

Since seniors are at a higher risk of contracting the contagious virus, Orr said that it’s important that those older Americans continue to practice safe habits they have hopefully developed during quarantine.

“The biggest concern of our medical professionals is the at risk population of those over the age of 65,” Orr said. “As restrictions are beginning to lift across the country it is even more important for those people to practice social distancing, wash their hands frequently or clean them with alcohol solutions and stay away from anyone who is sick, especially if they are showing COVID-19 like symptoms such as coughing.”

The doctor also emphasized the importance of continuing to stay away from public places even though things are beginning to reopen, saying that any trips to leave the house should come only out of necessity, such as a patient leaving for dialysis treatment.

“Stay home if possible,” he said. “It is tempting to want to get out of the house as things begin to reopen but it should only be if it is necessary.”

According to the Administration of Community Living’s website acl.gov, Older Americans Month was established in 1963 when only 17 million Americans had reached the age of 65. Per the ACL, that number has grown to 50.9 million in 2017 and will continue to increase to more than 94 million by 2060. 

With those numbers constantly on the rise, Orr said continued practice of conscientious living by everyone who is leaving their home will help the older population stay safe while governmental agencies such as the Center for Disease Control and the Health Department continue to monitor the virus for the foreseeable future.

Certain precautions already put in place at assisted living facilities such as temperature checks and restricting visitors are steps in the right direction for how to keep the older population safe. 

Orr said that further measures, such as grocery chains opening early for “senior hours,” which allow seniors to have the first chance of the day to shop before it becomes crowded, will hopefully be adapted by other businesses once they begin to reopen amid the new normal of life after quarantine.

In the meantime, the doctor suggests that seniors “stay active” by taking short walks away from the public when they get the urge to leave the house. He also recommends using the internet to connect with family and friends as their primary way to socialize safely as well as use it to get their own questions answered by medical professionals.

“We do have a great deal of technology at hand these days and seniors should have some reassurance that they have medical professionals to talk to whenever they need it,” Orr said.

Southwest Medical patients can use the website https://www.smalv.com/en/ehealth-tools/my-sma-health-online.html to get in touch with those medical professionals at their convenience to make sure they have the information that pertains to their specific needs.