Many seniors do not dare to resume their daily activities, even though they have been vaccinated. Clinical geriatricians see more and more patients who get into trouble as a result. For example, they not only signal that the elderly are lonely, but also that they are struggling with physical problems: many patients have to deal with malnutrition, dehydration and fractures due to falls. That writes the AD.
The specialists for frail elderly understand that the elderly are still afraid of the virus, but they are concerned about the side effects of their isolated existence. “We see people with early dementia who have deteriorated very rapidly and have to go to a nursing home. The elderly who move less, have a poorer balance, fall and break something”, describes Arend Arends, chairman of the Dutch Association for Clinical Geriatrics (NVKG).
‘We see serious illness because they remain in isolation’
Elderly organizations have restarted their activities, but see significantly fewer participants in some places. Interest association KBO Brabant also notices that after all this time, the elderly find it difficult to start up again now that they have become accustomed to their empty agenda.
The clinical geriatricians certainly do not want to claim that the elderly run no risk of corona, they also emphasize that it remains important to keep a distance. “But we are now also seeing serious illness because they remain in isolation. They no longer make their daily rounds or find nothing in life because of the loneliness,” says Karen Keijsers of the Jeroen Bosch Hospital. She sees several elderly people end up in hospital every week because of the consequences.
This makes isolation a greater danger than the coronavirus. “I understand that the elderly do not go to large-scale events, but it is responsible to do more”, emphasizes Arends.
By: Marinka Wagemans
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