Senior Helpers Surveys Seniors One Year After COVID

BALTIMORE (March 18, 2021)—One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Senior Helpers, a provider of in-home senior care, released findings of its “Seniors: One Year in Quarantine” survey, which explores attitudes and behaviors of adults aged 65+ since March 2020, along with their feelings toward the future. Surprisingly, a majority of seniors (72%) reported they feel safer and more comfortable seeing friends and family now, even without having been vaccinated themselves. At the time of this release, more than half of seniors reported they still hadn’t received the vaccine. But after a year of social distancing and quarantining, 88% of respondents also consider themselves just as, if not more, self-sufficient when compared to pre-pandemic times. While the senior population has been one of the most vulnerable groups during the pandemic, Senior Helpers’ study found that most older adults have been able to find the silver lining amid a tough situation.

“In light of the pandemic, it could be far too easy to only view seniors as fragile and vulnerable; however, this survey proved that our elders are quite the opposite—with a majority of seniors having learned new hobbies and becoming more comfortable with technology like Zoom, FaceTime and telemedicine,” said Peter Ross, Senior Helpers CEO. “Seniors are the backbone of society and it’s gratifying to learn that, for many, their physical, mental and emotional health has been maintained and even strengthened during these trying times.”

According to the survey, today, seniors have an appetite for adventure. 71% of respondents reported that they have NOT traveled in the last year but 60% plan to do so in the year ahead. They also say they have embraced and adopted new pastimes during COVID, including baking, watching TV and playing online games.

Other interesting findings include:
•    45% of seniors have utilized telehealth/telemedicine over the past year
•    53% of seniors said they have made peace with the current COVID situation 
•    65% of seniors surveyed believe people are kinder or just as kind since before the pandemic hit a year ago

Social distancing had negative impacts, according to survey findings. In fact, 60% of senior respondents admit to feeling less connected with family and friends since the start of the pandemic. While nearly 40% of seniors saw their families five times or more during the course of the past year, approximately 64% say their visits were still considerably less than pre-pandemic times. This may be the cause of 42% of seniors experiencing feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation, or other mental health concerns over the past year.

For seniors who are coping with social isolation, Ross explains care companions are a great solution to provide seniors with the social support they need to age in place more happily, safely and comfortably. Beyond professional in-home care, Senior Helpers strives to help maintain seniors’ wellbeing, prevent feelings of depression and bring more fun to their lives.

Ross continued, “At Seniors Helpers, we strive to provide a better quality of life for our elderly clients and their families, no matter the circumstances. We always try to find the bright side and our caregivers look to create moments of joy in any situation.”

For more information on Senior Helpers, please visit: seniorhelpers.com.