Is it possible to find balance among groups of all ages and opinions in a post-COVID-19 world? I hope so.
Thirteen months after the beginning of the pandemic, some things are finally reopening. Schools have become hybrid-learning facilities. Some cities, villages, and townships, are resuming in-person public meetings. Health departments are opening up for appointments. Restaurants are being allowed greater in-person dining capacity. Even some senior centers are slowly opening for classes of limited sizes, or limited activities.
Mass vaccination sites, and increased availability of vaccine options, are making many individuals feel more courageous. Seniors who have not seen family members in more than a year are starting to plan get-togethers or feeling hopeful for the future. Meanwhile, there are some who still find it uncomfortable to be around other persons. It is not just a phenomenon of older adults, but has been observed in all age groups.
Innovations created, or, expanded through the pandemic have allow us to shop or work from home, and many continue to do so. Online meeting portals are growing in popularity, and viewers of all ages have become proficient in handling these sites.
But what does the future hold for our isolated seniors as America opens up? It would seem that senior freedom hinges on feelings of safety for the rest of us, and we have become a Nation waiting with bated breath for each new proclamation regarding our collective public safety.
In working alongside volunteers and seniors these past 13 months, I would dare to suggest that everyone has a life to live and a choice to live. I am amazed at the sense of courage and resilience our elders exhibit. Most of those with whom I have talked, are ready and willing to get out and live the rest of their lives, however long that may be, although many younger people still feel vulnerable and concerned. Some seniors from centenarians to octogenarians have been reporting that they are unafraid, although many of those in their 40s through 60s remain frightened. Some choose to be vaccinated, some report they already have had the virus, some shrug off any questions.
Maybe our elders not only know, but accept, that life is short, and that life offers no guarantees. Although I do not advocate being flippant about personal safety. I do think it is important to take time to listen to seniors and understand what motivates them, what frightens them, and what hopes and dreams they are willing to share. By and large, I hear that seniors just want time to spend with their kids and grandkids.
For those who manage housing facilities, may I dare ask, what is the motivation behind opening up or staying locked down? I believe that policy members should be cautious in making decisions (even out of some sense of perceived kindness) that negatively affect the freedoms of others. Seniors have been isolated for a full 13 months! Some senior living facilities are regulating access to family members based on vaccination status! Are they trying to entice senior residents and family members into compliance in order to see their loved ones? Is this fair, or even just?
How much of life should we relinquish when moving into a group living facility, whether a nursing home, assisted living, memory care, or independent living, facility? Should residents continue to be denied access to loved ones or to personal contact? When does a personal decision over how one chooses to live receive consideration?
I am respectfully asking because for the past 13 months most of us have been careening down the aisles of superstores searching toilet paper and other necessities, all without a vaccination. Now, in recent weeks, vaccinations are being demanded, even though most seniors who live in their own homes have managed well without them.
May I dare suggest we let people of all ages choose how to live whatever time we have left on this earth. We have the vaccines available as well as hundreds of thousands of Americans who are COVID survivors. Isn’t it time to give each other the freedom to live and let live?
Barb Nadeau is the community relations manager for the Voluntary Action Center of Northern Illinois, representing five counties. Barb has worked many years as a professional television and radio host, as well as a print and social media journalist, and as a volunteer coordination professional networking amongst non-profit social service agencies throughout the Illinois. She is a freelance writer and an elected alderman in the city government of Plano. Contact Barb at bvnadeau@gmail.com.