The older generation has always been looked at as a wiser generation that has gained years of experience after going through a lot of physical, emotional, and mental instances through life. Old age is also when the person begins to be quite vulnerable and almost gets back to being like a child and hence requires added care and affection. However, while there are cultures that encourage elderly care and respect; there have also been occurrences of mistreatment with the elders around the world.  Elder abuse has been recognized as a global social issue that affects the health and human rights of millions of older persons around the world and deserves attention.

In the present scenario where the world is battling the novel coronavirus pandemic, it is more important than ever to care for the elderly population. While it is true that all age groups are at the risk of contracting COVID-19, a significantly higher risk of mortality and severe disease following infection lies with the older persons. Not only that, the pandemic can also lead to downsizing of critical services unrelated to corona and that can further increase the risk to the lives of older people.

Some ways in which the older generation can be affected right now include:

• While physical distancing is the need of the situation, when it comes to older generations, it is crucial to provide them social support measures and extra emotional care.
• Physical distancing can very well take a toll on anyone’s mental health, more so on the elderly population if they are not given the right support as they tend to feel neglected and of no value sooner.
• The situation is more critical for the elderly people because they are already often reliable on others for essential care and this can make them feel as a burden many times or helpless, further affecting their mental health.
• The virus is a threat for the older generation not only health-wise but also for their social networks and the access to their health services and pensions.
• If some elderly people are confined away from their loved ones, these prolonged periods of isolations can also severely impact their mental health.

There have been reports highlighting incidents of neglect or ill-treatment with older people. In some places, the quarantine or locked down situation have added higher risks of violence, abuse, and neglect for elders. Some older people who are confined in shelter homes or are homeless and are in informal settlements are more exposed to the risk of the virus with overcrowded conditions and lack of water and sanitization facilities as well as health services.

Thereby it becomes more important to offer careand support emotional as well as physical to the older generation during these testing times. Some ways to do that could be:

• Create a protective shield for the elders at your home to ensure they are always taken care of and have someone around.
• Check on them regularly and include them in the family time.
• Understand their vulnerabilities and needs and take care of their emotional as well as mental health.
• Educate them about the situation and make them aware so that they are not taken by surprise with any major change of events.
• Allow them a safe space to address any concerns that they might have and talk to them about the possible solutions from your end.
• Encourage them towards an inclusive digital environment, help them reconnect too so they don’t feel left out and under-valued.
• Take care of their physical health as well by ensuring they have access to the right food, medications, rest as well as exercise.
• While you are caught up with your work and life, help them also to stay occupied.

We are all dealing with critical times due to the pandemic. The uncertainty around health, money, new lifestyle changes and social distancing are all adding to the emotional and mental worries of people irrespective of their age. Hence it is only natural for the older generation to feel anxious and vulnerable, more so due to their condition and their age. Therefore, it is very important that everyone acts responsibly towards the elders at their home as well as those outside and give them the right care and support to help them deal with this unprecedented situation.

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The coronavirus pandemic has become a norm and in order to adapt, schools across the country have switched to remote learning. Children have been asked to stay on track with their syllabus through an online learning model at home. This transition from classroom-based to online learning can be quite stressful for children as it is a change from their normal structure and they are not accustomed to the new way of learning. At the moment, it is important for parents and teachers to acknowledge the anxiety that students might be feeling.

Due to stress, parents might start noticing behavioural changes in their children such as excessive arguments, refusals, opposition, defiance, or withdrawal, and it is not unusual for some kids to fall further behind. During this phase, parental support and guidance is very crucial.

Here are some tips for parents to help children cope with stress

Be kind to your children

Parents should be gentle and understanding with children to adjust to this new learning schedule. It’s not always going to go well. At times the kids are going to need a break. Parents and families know best what their children need and they should really listen to them.

Maintain breaks

Routines and schedules are extremely important for children not only while at school but at home as well. Children will function best if they maintain their routine as in school. Around lunch time encourage them to get up and move around in the house so that they are not sedentary for the entire day.

Have open conversations

Encourage your children to express their feelings with you. Be patient and understanding as your child may have different reactions to stress. Encourage them to talk about the issue and try not to avoid their concerns. Be sure to acknowledge their feelings and assure them with compassion.

Don’t try to recreate school

Parents should aim for anywhere from two to four hours of schoolwork each day, depending on the age of their children. Don’t try to recreate school with six to seven hours of curricular content. Instead, focus on shorter, higher-quality engagement with your kids and make time for fun activities

Allow them to interact with friends via video chats

Your children are used to a lot of social contact at school, so they will definitely feel the effects of being distanced from them even after a few days. While it might not be safe for your kids to see their friends in person, you should allow them to interact with them online, beyond social media or text messaging. Video chats are often the closest thing to seeing someone in person, and are a great way to get in social time without endangering yourself or others.

Remember to schedule time for fun

While this is most certainly not a vacation, it’s important to have some fun with your children while they are at home. It’s rare that you have so much time with your children, so use this as an opportunity to bond.

Getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods and exercising are all important for good mental health. As your kids are experiencing detachment from their normal school routines, make your kid’s learning experiences more personalized to their strengths, interests, and skill level. The best way to teach children these self-care strategies is for parents to follow them too.

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Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the world has changed and people are gradually adapting to a new lifestyle which involves more focus on safety and hygiene. The government has made it mandatory to wear protective masks, gloves and carry a sanitiser. People who venture out for various purposes, i.e. to shop for household needs, visit their offices or who are at the frontline of the pandemic, have to take all possible precautions to prevent the spread of the disease. It will take some time to adjust to wearing face masks and people may initially find it uncomfortable. Those who have to wear face masks for long hours may start to experience other challenges, such as difficulty in breathing, skin irritation, sweating, and the feeling of being trapped. But we all know that the only way to keep ourselves safe from covid-19 is through using the mask.

There are so many frontline workers who are fighting the pandemic and are also facing terrible skin injuries due to the long usage of surgical masks. A few of these are:

• Perioral dermatitis: When vapour, saliva, sweat, moisture gets stuck between the mask and the skin. It causes irritant dermatitis which leads to rashes, redness, scaling near the nose areas.
• Change in the skin pigment: Skin pigment might change as a result of excessive rashes, repetitive friction, and dry skin.
• Itchy rashes: It is a type of contact irritant dermatitis, which is caused either due to excess sweat or dryness.
• Sores on the nose and behind the ears: Due to the elastic pressure, long time usage of masks can cause sores in these areas.
• Hives: It is an allergic skin reaction that occurs due to multiple reasons, causing itchy, swollen-pale red bumps on our skin with burning or stingy pain on the skin.
• Breathlessness: Due to the hot, humid climate it can be difficult breathing for few people. People with lung issues like asthma and other chronic respiratory infections, it’s better to stay back at home as much as possible.

And all these issues can be taken care of by following these simple and healthy tips:

• Drink lots of water to avoid acne and dryness of the skin.
• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables .
• Do not use any kind of face packs or chemicals if you have a rash on your skin.
• If you have oily skin, keep washing your face at regular intervals.
• If you are a constant user of the mask, massage your face with a good replenishing moisturiser at bedtime.
• Use moisturizing body soaps and face washes.

• Keep using anti-fungal dusting powders to avoid fungal infections in sweaty, moist regions.
• If you are having a continuous burning sensation, then it’s time to consult a skin specialist.
• Wash and moisturize your ear lobes regularly
• Use a correctly- fitted mask, if your ear lobes are being forcefully folded, then it’s not the right size.
• Do not touch your face constantly, it can not only spread the disease but it can also spread germs that can cause skin infections.

Wearing face masks is the “new normal”, and this is likely to continue for quite some time. During this time, it is important for us to take all the precautions we can to ensure everyone’s safety and wellbeing. However, challenging it may initially feel to wear a face mask, we should continue to focus on our first priority – Fighting this Virus!

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