Magnolia Manor Blog

These days we are so enthralled with all the ways we can connect with loved ones electronically, we almost forget about good, old-fashioned postcards and letters. You know – the ones that come in the mail. We rudely refer to it as “snail” mail because it takes a few days (so long!) to arrive. Hardly the split-second communication we’ve become accustomed to in our impatient world.

Here at Magnolia Manor, we consider every resident to be a member of our family as well as yours. Since the coronavirus first became known, we have taken maximum precautions that go beyond CDC and State of Georgia guidelines to protect our residents and staff from this very serious health concern. It hasn’t been fun, but it is important! And our diligent efforts are paying off.

Besides, we are still having fun around here. And there are plenty of ways for families and residents to have fun together while apart.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought home to all of us just how vital it is to stay connected with loved ones, especially our seniors. Right away, as soon as stay-at-home orders were being issued, our Magnolia Manor team jumped into action. We created Family Connect, a program to keep our residents in touch with their families. No physical contact allowed, maybe, but our goal was to ensure plenty of face time.

We are both proud and pleased to say that Family Connect has been a tremendous success, for everyone involved.

Feeling a little too cooped-up in self-quarantine? By now we’re all going a bit stir crazy. For seniors who live alone, physical separation from friends and loved ones can feel especially difficult. Psychologists suggest you should take heart knowing that literally billions of others around the world are also staying at home, many of them alone.

But let’s be honest. Knowing you’re not alone doesn’t really make you feel less alone, does it? It’s time to take action!

It’s so hard knowing your grandkids are close-by, yet, thanks to coronavirus-inspired social distancing, they cannot visit in person so you can hug and smooch and chat with them in the usual ways. Even under normal conditions, lots of grandparents don’t have the luxury of living near their adult children and grandkids. So they know a little something about keeping in touch even when you can’t literally touch each other.

Here are some tips from grandparents who have found rewarding ways to stay connected during these difficult times and beyond.

There is no tougher job than serving as someone’s caregiver. And when the person you’re helping is a loved one, your close relationship can make the “job” even more stressful. It’s so hard to see your aging Mom or Dad struggle. And it’s all too easy to feel exhausted, overwhelmed and isolated as you try to help. Yet there are more than 34 million unpaid caregivers in the US responsible for assisting adults 50 or older. Almost 16 million of them care for someone who has Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia.

The older we get, the more likely we are to start worrying about “what will happen to me if... ” It’s natural to do that, but worry is not productive and it can negatively impact physical and emotional health. With that in mind, here are the top things that concern seniors, along with some ways you can help prevent them or ameliorate their effects for your loved one:

Everybody needs to eat! If you’re a caregiver for an elderly parent or other loved one who isn’t eating like they should, we understand your frustration. Below, you’ll find some tips you can try to get your senior to eat more, or at least get more of the high-nutrition calories their body requires.

Loss is part of the circle of life, and grief is a natural response to losing a loved one. Sadly, there are many misconceptions about grief that can make it harder to allow yourself the time and space you need to grieve in your own way. Rather than feeling pressured to conform to someone else’s idea of how to grieve, we need to remember that this is an intimately personal experience and process.

Taking care of a senior loved one can be emotionally and physically draining. When pushed to an extreme, caregiver fatigue and burnout can even cause serious physical issues!