This is not necessarily a “pearl”, but more of some clinical/human advice.
Reach out to your elderly patients over these holidays. The elderly have been impacted socially by this pandemic more than anyone else.
Loneliness, anxiety, and depression rates are very high in those older than 65 due to the shut downs and quarantines.
Suicide rates are increasing as well, and I fear this might worsen as the pandemic worsens.
So, this holiday season, take some extra time to reach out to the elderly patients in your practice. I am personally calling all of the patients over the age of 60 in my men’s health clinic and wishing them a happy holiday season and ensuring that they are okay.
Also, don’t forget about your elderly family. I was on the phone for an hour with my grandparents last night who have been socially isolated since March. It made them very happy to chat and check in.
One phone call could really brighten the day of those in quarantine, and might just save a life.
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8 Responses
This is got to be the best Clinical Pearl’s to date. Thank you!
Thanks Kim 🙂
Very timely wisdom. We also know that “isolation and lonliness” are strongly associated with depression, anxiety, and even with the exacerbation of Alzheimer’s disease. The centenarian cultures around the world, i.e. Sardinia, Osaka, Nosaria, etc. all have a family-orientd, friend-driven, multi-generational culture of frequent get togethers and personal connection. Ikaria, the Greek island of longevity, is a shining example of how it should be done.
Interesting, I was unaware of those correlations, thank you for enlightening us about them!
Love this!! So so true. Thanks for the reminder. Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
You are absolutely correct. Thank you for the reminder. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for the comment, Happy Thanksgiving!