HJNO Mar/Apr 2022

48 MAR / APR 2022 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS COLUMN  SENIOR HEALTH MARCH 2020, when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, few of us could imagine the depth or breadth to which we would be affected. Per- haps the first to fully understand the magnitude of the situation were older adults. As the fatalities due to COVID in the U.S. approaches 900,000, the vast majority of those deaths (approximately three quarters) have been among Americans 65 and older. A heightened risk and fear of hospitaliza- tion and death, the rigors of isolation, and the grief of losing spouses and friends made the initial months of the pandemic nearly unbearable for some older Americans. But, amid the somber statistics are stories of strength, re- silience, and triumph. As we mark the second-year anniversary of the pan- demic, here is how one remarkable retiree from Lambeth House reflects on the experience. Charlotte Travieso moved into independent living at Lambeth House four years ago and quickly acclimated to its holistic culture. Poised and elo- quent, Charlotte is the quintessential active ager: an eternal optimist and avid workout enthusiast with a social calendar unmatched by many. She re- calls exercising in the park when she first became aware of how COVID-19 was impacting life within her retirement community: “I was getting in my 10,000 steps, walking in Audubon Park, when my niece called me. She had been copied on an email outlining COVID-19 re- strictions at Lambeth House and I thought, ‘What!?’ I was in complete de- nial. I came back from my walk to find both the dining room and fitness center closed. My first thought was, ‘Wow, this is serious! I wonder how long this will go on.’” In the following weeks, Charlotte’s positive nature found its stride. She and others made the best of the difficult situation. “I thought, ‘Well I guess I’ll do my 10,000 steps in the parking lot.’ Even- tually, we all walked laps in the parking lot and, in time, I started to like the slowdown. It was nice.” Reflections from Charlotte