Heartbreak for elderly as COVID rules bite

The series of lockdowns and other tightened COVID-19 measures have had a devastating effect on many of the island’s senior citizens, some of whom have now sunken into depression.

According to two ministers of religion, many of the seniors are suffering as a result of the restrictions, as many have been unable to attend church which has traditionally been a source of fellowship and affirmation.

Since last March, COVID- 9 containment measures have heavily restricted the movement of seniors, forcing them to stay inside for extended periods to mitigate the risk of illness or death.

Stay-at-home orders were first implemented for persons 60 and over to stay in and work from home but have since been revised to target those 75 and over.

Those seniors are only allowed outside once per week for necessities, but many have not had contact with the outside world for months.

“They used to meet up once per month to discuss things and talk with each, but the inability to have that kind of social interaction has been devastating on that grouping,” said elder Keith Nugent of the Andrews Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church.

“So you do have a lot of them expressing loneliness. One or two even use the word ‘depression’, but there are earlier symptoms like loneliness and that sort of things that are affecting them,” he added.

The church elder further pointed out that whenever there is a relaxing of the measures, seniors usually grab the opportunity to turn out in their numbers.

This, he said, is indicative of their need for fellowship.

The Reverend Gary Harriott, moderator for the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, while agreeing that many of them are missing the social connection that the church provides, said that many elderly folk do not have outlets beyond their congregations.

“I have had members who at one time or two have said that they are happy for the time to be out because they have felt so disconnected, the loneliness, the sadness, the anxiety that they suffer being away, so they look forward to the opportunity to come together, as it lifts their spirit.

“There are some who are suffering from feelings of depression and sadness because they haven’t been able to be out as they would love to,” he said.

However, to assist those elderly members who are suffering, both ministers shared that the Church has mainly tried to stay in touch with them via the phone, as many are not able to connect virtually to partake in online activities.

Nugent added that some members conduct home visits but have conversations from their gates or fences.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com