Deemed as the most vulnerable age group, senior citizens have been forced to stay home because of the Covid-19 pandemic. To keep them healthy, it is important to establish a daily routine that will cover several aspects of their health.
In addition to practicing regular hand washing, the wearing of mask and physical distancing even at home, Dr. Eliza Mei Francisco, Program Director of the Asian Senior Wellness Institute and Chairman of the Department of Occupational and Family Medicine of the Asian Hospital and Medical Center, offered five tips to help keep senior citizens busy and in tip-top shape at home.
To look after their physical health, Dr. Francisco recommends that the senior members of the household allot 30 minutes every day for exercise. Additionally, they should eat home-cooked food with minimal preservatives and more phytonutrients for their nutritional health.
“Third, for their social health, it is important for our seniors to socialize with family and friends through virtual means,” Dr. Francisco said. “For the fourth aspect on mental health, the senior should exercise their minds regularly by reading and doing puzzles and memory games. It is also important for them not to dwell too much on stressful news and issues so that their health will not be affected.”
Spiritual health
Lastly, it is also important for them to have regular prayer time with the family so that they will be healthy spiritually as well as physically.
Dr. Francisco said she makes it a point to send messages to her patients to check on their health situation and to ask if they need any help. She also updates them on the hospital’s latest services that they might want to avail of.
“Asian Hospital as an eConsult Service where patients can be seen by their doctors online and receive advice, prescriptions, and laboratory requests without having to physically visit the clinic,” she said. “We also have plans to offer webinars on senior-related topics as part of our Senior Day Care activities and Senior Wellness Lecture series that we launched last year.”
One of the problems experienced during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was the difficulty for some senior citizens to buy their maintenance medicines because the nearby drug stores had run out of stock. Dr. Francisco noted that most drug stores nowadays accept electronic prescriptions and that senior citizens can purchase three months’ worth of medications.
Online payments for meds
“If they have problems getting hold of their medicines, our Asian Hospital Pharmacy E-Prescription Program allows our patients to request for medications online and our Pharmacy will source the items for them,” she related. “Once ready, the patient can pay online and the medicines may either be picked up or delivered to their homes.”
If there really is a need for the senior patient to consult a doctor in person, Dr. Francisco advised that the patient set an online appointment to see their doctor. Before proceeding to the hospital, the patient should fill up the health declaration form.
“If they have no symptoms or exposure, we can help facilitate their visit either to have laboratory tests or to consult with their doctor face to face,” she said. “We also have to remind the caregiver to wear face mask and face shield and to be at the clinic just a few minutes prior to their appointment.”
Dr. Francisco assured patients and their caregivers that Asian Hospital and Medical Center is a safe hospital because it has adopted the “Asian Hospital Tagged Safe” campaign where patients are pre-scheduled for their appointments, screened upon entering the hospital premises and are frequently reminded of safety precautions.
This campaign is a hospital-wide initiative, involving staff from all departments to assure patients and their families that Asian Hospital is a safe place for healing.
“The clinics are well ventilated and have sanitation and disinfection protocols in place,” she said. “Our staff have undergone trainings for infection control and prevention are in proper protective equipment when they attend to patients.”