HJNO Jul/Aug 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JUL / AUG 2020 53 Jere` Hales Chief Operating Officer Lambeth House the rest of the world was not good…I couldn’t see expressions with masks. I felt isolated. It was very painful for me.” Lambeth House, a registered continuing care retirement center, has independent liv- ing, assisted living, and nursing care within its community. Tight-knit communities like these were not exempt from the rigors of isolation, but they have the benefit of inter- nal support to quickly identify and address the needs of residents whomight be at high risk for depression or loneliness. Jennifer Credeur, LCSW, director of social services at Lambeth House, and her teamdeveloped preventive strategies to address the issue of seclusion for their seniors. Credeur says that, whether seniors live within a commu- nity setting, or alone in their single-family home, there are strategies to address the ef- fects of prolonged isolation. She suggests that older adults adhere to a set routine, ex- plore virtual connection opportunities like Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime if face to face visitation is not possible, and take advantage of mental health support offered through telemedicine. Technology could provide a beneficial lifeline to seniors who need or want to stay connected. Dr. Josh Lowentritt, medical director at Lambeth House, also offers fresh insight to the matter. He states, “Seniors should con- centrate on what they are able to do, and reimagine what is possible.” He says one new clinical role, brought on as a result of coronavirus, is supporting older adults in envisioning newways of connecting socially. Lowentritt adds, while it is true that seniors cannot have the interactions theymay want to have, they are still able to havemeaningful connections. “I tell my patients, ‘While it is not a great idea for you to attend a luncheon for 25 attendees, it is a great idea for you to plan and have lunch with three or four of your closest friends. Treat every small gathering as a blessing.” He recommends that healthcare teams assist older adults in finding ways to thrive in this new environ- ment.Additionally, he encourages providers to plan now for ways to reintegrate families with residents of long-termcare facilities, as there may be the need to reassess the initial strict no-visitation approach currently prac- ticed at nursing homes and assisted living communities. The early quarantines and lockdowns of COVID-19 have already offered a glimpse of what seniors might experience, should be there a resurgence of the virus this fall. Now is the perfect opportunity to fine-tune practices and protocols that support the el- derly during this rather unprecedented time. With the understanding that some seniors are prone to rapid health declines due to loneliness and social isolation, we must work together to find a sensible balance, be- ing careful not to perpetuate a whole other type of epidemic—one of social isolation and loneliness. n