A Geriatrician Offers 4 Tips for Seniors to Stay Connected During Coronavirus Outbreak

University of Virginia professor and geriatrician Laurie Archbald-Pannone suggests four tips in The Conversation to help seniors remain connected during the coronavirus epidemic when advisories for social distancing are in effect. She first recommends that seniors take advantage of online communications technology like FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, or Snapchat. A second suggestion is remote participation in community activities, like volunteering to make phone calls for political parties, faith-based groups, and other organizations. Seniors also should stay current on the pandemic and other important news, but Archbald-Pannone thinks they should not do so to excess in order to avoid needless anxiety. "Watch a news update in the morning, then check in again at night," she advises. "Don't stay with it all evening — 30 minutes or an hour is plenty." Archbald-Pannone's fourth suggestion is for seniors to stay in touch with close friends and family, especially those who also are practicing social distancing. "Social distancing does not mean social isolation, and even a potentially deadly virus should not force us to be alone," she writes.