Written by Samantha Proctor

Social media is crawling with memes about COVID-19–some funny, some scary, and even some that hit you right in the feels. A more serious one regarding the safety of our seniors stood out to me; it said, “They went to war for you, so you can stay at home for them.” Our older generation is hurting right now. They are the most at risk and they are scared. As a society, we need to be sure to think about others. That’s what ‘social distancing’ is about. It isn’t necessarily about you–it’s about your grandparents that have heart conditions, your nephew with asthma, and your pregnant friend. These are the people who should not be infected with COVID-19. Through not practicing social distancing, we are putting the most vulnerable even more at risk. If you are unsure how to start social distancing while supporting those around you, we have a few ideas:

Shop Smart

I get that these are scary times, but is it really necessary to buy Kroger out of all of their toilet paper and bread? I understand how the media ramps things up to create drama, but seriously, some of these people are crazy. The CDC recommends having enough food/supplies on hand to get you through 30 days of quarantine. Unless you have 15 kids, I doubt you need to keep 8 loaves of bread and 180 rolls of toilet paper on hand. Be smart, friends. Cut back to eating smart & making your food last. Eat the leftovers, plan your meals out, and only buy what you need! 

Support Local

So many restaurants are being affected by the state wide quarantine. Making the transition to take-out only has not only hurt daily business, but also the server incomes. These businesses count on you to keep their lights on every single day. Instead of going to a fast food chain restaurant, consider placing a take out order at your favorite local restaurant or coffee shop, then leave a good tip! Many of us are lucky enough to work from home and won’t see a shift in our salaries. This isn’t the case for restaurant workers. If you’re able, be sure to show your support so they don’t have to shut their doors for good!

Show You Care

Here’s a little personal story for you… My best friend’s grandma has altzheimers and is in a memory care facility. She was used to receiving a visitor every single day, whether that was her daughter, granddaughter, or a few rotating family friends. With the COVID-19 quarantine, her facility is on lockdown–nobody is allowed in or out (unless medically necessary) for the foreseeable future. This is not only making Nana lonely, but she’s also scared. Because she doesn’t understand what is going on, she feels forgotten. It was recently recommended to me that we write letters to the precious elderly community, to let them know that we care about them and they are not alone. We are here for them, if not physically, we can be there for them remotely. I also really suggest giving your grandparents a call. If they’re tech savvy enough to facetime, that’s even better! 

This is a rough time for everyone. We are all feeling lonely, sad and maybe even a bit of depression is kicking in. We need to stick together during this, make sure we share all the love that we can. Instead of pushing our own selfish agenda, let’s think of the other people who might be more affected by this situation than we are!