It has been several weeks since our world started shutting down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council on Aging‘s (COA) first response was to provide practical and personal information on COVID-19 for older adults and their caregivers. In the early days of the pandemic lockdown, there was little information specific to older adults. COA have published a series of bilingual INFO-FLASH Special Updates on physical (social) distancing, food, caring for self and others, transportation, money/finances, and finding a balance. These are available online here.
Older adults have been told to stay at home as much as possible and restrict our contact with people in our household. For some, this means changing daily habits. For others, it has exposed vulnerabilities, leaving us more isolated in the fight against this virus. While COA encourages you to reduce the amount of news you consume, it is hard not to see or hear about the increasing outbreaks and deaths occurring every day.
Emergency orders are being extended further while some businesses are reopening to restart the economy — uncertainty remains as to what comes next.
The INFO-FLASH will provide you with a recap of the Special Update newsletters as well as an update on what the COA, City of Ottawa, Province of Ontario, and Federal Government are doing to support seniors and their caregivers during this pandemic.
The COA also wants to hear about your experiences as a senior during the COVID-19 pandemic. They want to know how you are coping, managing anxiety, and staying connected and are asking for your participation in a survey — the information collected can be used to support Ottawa’s seniors during times like these and for other public health crisis. It takes about 15 minutes and you can complete the survey through this link.
Not comfortable with the online format, you can also participate by phone by calling 613-789-3577 ext. 4 and leaving a message. Someone will call you back within 24 hours to collect your information. This is a way to make sure your voice is heard.
Sign-up to receive the COA INFO-FLASH right to your inbox at www.coaottawa.ca. Follow them on Facebook as well at: https://www.facebook.com/coaottawa/.
Hello, I’m looking for information on isolation & access to services during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, by seniors of the linguistic and cultural background, would you be kind to share that information if available, please!
Thanks!
The following link may be able to provide some programs and assistance for you: https://seniorsocialisolation.ca/keeping-ottawa-seniors-connected/.