Moving won’t solve social isolation issues

#Middlebury #Seniors

Our experiences with the coronavirus have changed many of us. We’ve been locked down, scared to shop, startled at the number of people who refuse to wear a mask in public, and worse, we’ve been socially isolated.

Now we want something new. My email confirms it: Many of us believe we want to live in a different place, one that will surely be better, and retirement communities are the top choice.

We have various reasons for feeling this way. Many of us have been hit with serious lockdown depression and believe that it’s from being so isolated.

Maybe the grandchildren want us closer than the other end of a Zoom conference call, and we certainly can’t fly there to visit. Maybe we want to live somewhere we perceive is safer.

However, as enticing as these ideas are, before packing up, be sure what’s on the other end:

Check the health stats in your new chosen location. There’s no need to go from one area with a few cases of the virus into a major hotspot. In many places the numbers are just now starting to climb.

Check the rules in the new location. Some areas are still locked down more than others. In some places a move doesn’t qualify as essential travel.

The biggest thing to consider is this: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those who live in a retirement community are more at risk because of age and existing medical conditions. Any socializing you’re hoping to do among your new neighbors will come to a screeching halt at the first sign of community transmission.

Your new neighbors will be there, but at a distance, in their own homes. No welcome parties, no exercising in the gym, no art classes, no activities calendar … just more isolation in a new location.

© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.