The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the development of another type of pandemic – neuroses. The problem applies not only to young and middle-aged people, but also to a large extent to seniors, says psychogeriatrist Dr. Małgorzata Ostrowska.
As he justifies, seniors not only have a weaker nervous system, but also due to their age they are anxious about the future. Those who performed various social functions, such as grandmothers, grandfathers or students of the University of the Third Age, lost them, especially in the first months of the outbreak.
“Seniors can function fantastically, but the pandemic has changed the lives of many people” – says Dr. Małgorzata Ostrowska from the hospital of the Ministry of Interior and Administration in Krakow.
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He points out that severe anxiety appeared in seniors especially at the very beginning, when it was said that this age group was the most vulnerable to covid. There was a difficulty in accessing a doctor with whom contact was important for seniors. In the opinion of the psychogeriatrist, telepaths, but also the need to deal with certain matters via the Internet, intensified the feeling of anxiety and alienation even more.
“Our brain does not like uncertainty very much” – says the expert.
He also emphasizes that the neuroses will stay with us. «Neurosis is not a pharyngitis that goes away after a week. The constant bombardment of the psyche with stress means that we will feel it for a long time and – in the case of seniors – most often in the form of sleep disorders, non-specific pain, e.g. stomach pain. These are often neurotic symptoms »- says Dr. Małgorzata Ostrowska.
Her observations show that in older people it is not pharmacology that is most important, but being with them, talking to them.
«Most of the seniors are widows, widowers, and other friends and acquaintances are leaving them. For them, the most important thing is not to be lonely »- says the psychogeriatrist.
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According to Dr. Ostrowska, after the pandemic, diseases that have ceased to be treated due to covid will become a serious problem.
«Undiagnosed diseases or diseases whose treatment has been neglected or suspended will make themselves felt. It cannot be made up in a few weeks »says the psychogeriatrist.
Dr. Ostrowska recommends seniors to remember about the schedule of their day, but most of all, to get up and go to bed at regular times, because neglected sleep disorders will only intensify. It is also important to keep in touch with other people and take walks in the fresh air.
For those with fewer social contacts, caring for a dog may be helpful in maintaining the rhythm of the day. For seniors, an adult or older dog will be a better companion than a puppy. At the shelter, you can offer your help as a volunteer, then the dog can be looked after temporarily, e.g. by taking it for walks.
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