Page 70 - rp-may-2020

HEALTH AGED CARE 68
RET AIL PHARMA C Y • MA Y 2020
THE AGE OF HEIGHTENED CARE AS HEALTH RISKS RISE
By Peter Howard.
The perfect storm
While social isolation is difficult
for people across all age groups,
older adults have been hit a little harder
than most. They’re not only especially
vulnerable to COVID-19, but when fear
and loneliness are added to the mix,
it creates a perfect storm.
Many are scared, being among the
high-risk age groups for serious or even
deadly COVID-19 infection, particularly
if they have existing medical conditions.
Some may also have heard conspiracy
theories such as the one claiming that
‘the virus is man-made and designed to
depopulate the planet’.
In an attempt to manage the risk,
many older adults chose to limit their
social interaction before social isolation
was mandated.
However, while helping to minimise
the chance of infection, social isolation
creates other issues, including that,
among older adults, it’s a public
health concern because it leads to
heightened risk of cardiovascular,
neurocognitive, autoimmune, and mental
health problems.
1
In addition, as a high percentage of
older adults lack the technical savvy
needed to use various social media tools
such as Zoom, WhatsApp or Messenger
video conferencing, they’re finding
it hard to keep in touch with loved
ones. This leads to loneliness, which,
if experienced for extended periods
of time, puts older adults at increased
risk of depression and anxiety and
2
can exacerbate existing mental health
problems such a dementia.
The final factor in what seems to be
a perfect storm is the natural tendency
for many older adults to worry. In the
same way that older adults often refuse
to use air conditioning or heating for
fear of the cost, many worry about
the cost of internet use or phone calls
and, believing video conferencing to
be expensive, remain more isolated
than is necessary. The constant flow of
news stories about escalating infection
numbers and shortages of provisions
will also be a cause for worry, with many
older adults choosing to ration their food
or even their medicines, leading to the
onset of additional, potentially serious
health concerns.
Fortunately, because the need for
medication continues, community
pharmacies are among the few places
still visited by older adults or their
carers, presenting an opportunity
for reassurance, communication of
important information and a check
that all is well in terms of medication
compliance, so that those older adults
can cope during this crisis.
Retail Pharmacy
has spoken with a
number of organisations specialising
in the provision of support, advice
and resources to those in frontline
healthcare with a responsibility to care
for the elderly. Here, with day-to day
circumstances remaining changeable
during this crisis, we share practical
elements of their advice.

Dementia-friendly support
Among the most at-risk people at this
time are those living with dementia,
70 per cent of whom currently reside
in the community. Depending on their
symptoms and the progression of the
disease, they will have varying levels of
understanding of the changing situation
with COVID-19.
Some have limited communication
skills or lack the ability fully to
understand the current situation.
It may be that they fail to adhere to
social distancing restrictions, and it’s
likely they may become confused or
anxious if interactions with them aren’t
handled sensitively.
“These are unpredictable times
that are disruptive and turbulent,”
Dementia Australia Executive Director
Corporate Services and Governance
Anthony Boffa said.
“They can create even more
uncertainty for people living with
dementia, so we must be alert to
these situations that can cause
heightened risks.”
Dementia Australia has released
a statement saying the needs and
capacity of people living with dementia
must be a priority in response to the
COVID-19 outbreak.
Hospitals, GP clinics, community
health centres, community care and
aged care homes are all responding to
the outbreak with various methods of
urgent communication to their patients
and clients.
Dementia Australia CEO
Maree McCabe says people living with
dementia, depending on the progression
of the disease, may no longer be
able to follow the recommended
protocols or read signs or emails that
are designed to inform and protect all
people living in residential or attending
community settings.
“The ability to follow instructions or
how to alert health professionals or other
staff about potential symptoms may be
a challenge, especially where there’s
limited capacity to communicate verbally
or express pain and discomfort,” she said.
“There’s much confusion generally
about the information available, with
updates and new decisions changing
daily to keep pace with this rapidly
evolving situation. For people living
with some form of cognitive impairment,
this can create even more uncertainty.”
On the basis that community
pharmacists are the health professionals
most frequently visited by people
living with dementia and their carers,
Dementia Training Australia runs a range
of courses exploring the role community