From Paramount Advantage Medicaid: Helping patients cope with the loneliness of social distancing

From Paramount Advantage Medicaid 

Helping patients cope with the loneliness of social distancing 

Dee Ann Bialecki-Haase MD, MBA, CPE
Chief Medical Officer, Paramount

There is no doubt that the recent and sudden changes caused by social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak have disrupted our routines and made everyday life more challenging. While staying home is important for slowing the spread of the coronavirus, the self-isolation is causing many of our patients to feel alone.

As health care providers, we have all seen the research that links social isolation and loneliness to higher risks of high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. None of these will help our patients avoid COVID-19 or recover from it.

But, helping our patients cope with the loneliness of these days and reminding them that we will get through this together will support the resiliency we all need today to do just that.

Our world may feel smaller – but our view of it does not have to. Now, more than ever, we need to take care of one another and encourage our patients to do the same. Here are some ideas to share with patients in hopes of helping them feel less lonely and more engaged in the world around them:

• Take a break from coronavirus news. It can be unsettling and overwhelming to constantly listen or watch the news about the pandemic. Instead, get your information from reliable sources once or twice a day.
• Stay connected. Make a list of people to reach out to. Use video calls, phone calls, emails, texts or social media. 
• Check on elderly and disabled friends, relatives and neighbors. Offer to pick up groceries or prescriptions for them. 
• Embrace the extra time at home with your loved ones. Pull out the board games. Laugh at old family videos and pictures. Work on a home project together. 
• If you have children, now is a great time to teach them lessons about altruism. Show them examples of how communities are coming together. Help them contribute: Make cards for those in nursing homes where visitors are limited. Draw thank-you pictures for health care providers at your local hospital. 

Find ways to comfort yourself. Take a walk. Do yoga or practice deep breathing. Focus on your pet. Take a bubble bath. Or, immerse yourself in your favorite hobby.
If you are spiritual, follow practices at home that provide you with comfort and emotional strength. 

For the latest Paramount Advantage COVID-19 information and links to the CDC and Ohio Department of Health websites, please visit paramounthealthcare.com/covid-19.