[bright upbeat music] Hi, I'm Tracy Teudhope.

For nearly a year older adults in our community have been staying at home in greater numbers for weeks, even months at a time, all to lower their chances of becoming sick with COVID-19.

This very smart decision is creating other challenges for our seniors.

Like fewer opportunities for routine exercise and less physical contact with family and friends.

If this is your experience, you are not alone.

We are all feeling the collective loss of the world as we knew it.

However, this disruption in your normal routines and rhythms can turn to benefit as we explore how you can take an active role in jump-starting your physical, mental, and social activity, right where you live.

Today I have two guests with me, Neurological Physical Therapist Mary Kingston, who is here to show us how you can safely increase your physical activity at home.

Also with us as Clinical Psychologists, Dr. Lisa May, who will describe some of the feelings we all share, and how to create connection with others.

Let's start with Dr. May.

This is a tough time, all of us are working through so many feelings.

What are people experiencing Dr. May?

Many people are experiencing anxiety, depression, and even loneliness.

We are not doing our regular routines which helps us to feel that life is in control, and we're often separated from family members who we feel close to.

Is it normal to feel this way during this time?

It is absolutely normal to feel this way during this time.

Things that we typically take for granted just aren't happening the way that they used to.

For example, when we go to the store, now, there are times that what we want to pick up, just isn't there.

For people that were alive during world war two, that can bring up memories of food rations.

And for those of us that weren't alive during that time or don't remember that time, we have not been through a period of time in the past when what we needed, we couldn't just stop and pick up on the way home.

These are all changing times and it's very normal to feel disrupted and have a variety of feelings.

What can people do to help with these feelings?

We are finding that people are very resilient.

For people that have had a history of depression or anxiety, they have already developed coping strategies that they're employing.

And for people that this is a new experience, there are a lot of techniques that people can use to make life feel, and a little bit more control.

Things like maintaining regular schedules are very important.

Picking a time to get up and a time to go to bed.

Also having a regular routine.

So we're even making a list of things to do during the day, even if you're remaining your home, can be very helpful in making life feel a little bit more under control.

Using hobbies or activities to distract from negative thoughts or feelings can be helpful.

In limiting your time on either the news or social media or watching things that you find distressing, And instead, focusing on positive contact can help you feel a little less distressed.

It's also important to focus on more immediate needs rather than wondering what if, or worrying about things in the future.

We are going to discuss some techniques you can use to increase mindfulness and overall mental wellness in just a few moments.

But first let's bring Mary Kingston into the conversation and explore some ways to stay active right now.

Mary, I know we're all struggling with ways to take care of ourselves right now.

So let's start with stretching.

What is the value of it, and how is it helpful?

Stretching is very valuable especially in the elderly population because we need to be able to maintain our mobility with nice loose muscles in order to be able to move around the way we want to around the house, do your activities of daily living without exacerbating some things like arthritis and joint pain that we can get with tight muscles.

So one nice thing that you can do to facilitate stretching is to use a hot pack or a heating pad.

And I have an example of one right here.

It has kind of a fuzzy side on this side and then it's filled with this gel.

And this is a really nice one because you can use it for both heat and cold.

So you can put it in the microwave for a hot pack and you can also put it in the freezer if you wanna use it as a cold pack.

Now, one cautionary tip is if you do put it in the microwave make sure that you cover it with a towel for that heat modality, because sometimes these can burn skin.

So you wanna just make sure you have that barrier in between the hot pack and your skin.

The same thing with the cold pack, you wanna be able to have like a pillow case we use.

Sometimes we'll actually wet a pillow case and put it over top to make it a little bit more cold, but it also forms a barrier, so you're not freezing your skinny either.

So another little helpful tip is a lot of times people will ask me, do I use hot or cold, and when do I use it?

So we wanna use the heat before you stretch because muscles are like rubber bands.

You wanna really warm them up before you stretch them so you prevent injury.

And then you can use the ice modality after you exercise to decrease any inflammation you might get while you're exercising.

[bright upbeat music] So there are some typical muscle groups that get tight on all of us, but especially in the older population.

We'd like to keep you loose and flexible, so that you can move easier.

Whether you're transferring or walking or going up and down steps, or even sitting for a long time and feeling stiff.

So one of the stretches we like to work on is stretching your hamstring here, and then it runs down the back of your leg, back your thigh.

It crosses both the hip and the knee.

So it tends to get a little bit tight, especially if your knees bent a lot, 'cause you're sitting too much, which I think we're all guilty of that.

So you can use a strap or even a bed sheet works.

We're using the strap.

So you can just see a little bit easier.

But he's going to grab each end of the strap with his hand.

And it's very important because this muscle crosses the knee that you keep the knee straight, otherwise you won't stretch it.

You just lift everything up here to that point where you feel the stretch right behind your knee.

And then you just hold it for maybe 10 seconds, just because the muscles are like rubber bands.

And so, if you don't give them time to stretch out you're not gonna get a full stretch.

And then, you just kind of let it down nice and gently, you don't drop it, okay?

And that's one way in a laying down position that you can stretch the hamstring.

Another stretch you can do is for your hip flexor here, which can get really tight if you're in a wheelchair too much or just sitting too much.

So all you have to do is drape your leg over the side of the table and just let gravity do its job.

So that'll help to stretch this muscle across the hip, the front of the hip there.

And again, you'd hold it there.

You could probably hold this one for 20 or 30 seconds if you want to, whatever feels good, and then you would just gently bring it back up.

You can have a caregiver help you if that is safer for you or more doable for you.

So posture is always a huge concern for the elderly population, but actually for everybody.

Anybody can benefit from these stretches for your shoulders and your upper body.

So just a couple simple ones to think about that you can do throughout your day.

You really can't do too many stretches.

So first I'm just going to prime him by just doing shoulder rolls.

So what you do is you bring your shoulders up towards your ears, and then you roll them back, as far as you can see you're pinching your shoulder blades together, and then you just let them relax down.

[people chattering] And the difference between this, and like strengthening technique, is that we're really just focusing on holding a stretch up, and back and breathing with it, and then relaxing down.

So that's an excellent one you can do anywhere, sitting, standing, anywhere, you feel some tension.

Another one is to stretch out the front of the chest because we're always here.

We're always bending forward, writing, cooking, reading, everything we do is forward.

So we wanna expand the chest and stretch these muscles out.

So we do a doorway stretch, we call it.

So if you just back up a couple steps, and have you put your arms in a field goal position we call it because you can see the field goal here, okay?

And then what you do is you kind of stick the chest out and you step forward, you lunge forward with one leg, and that expands the stretch.

And you don't even have to step forward quite that far, you just find that comfort zone feeling.

[gentle music] And you would hold that stretch for maybe 10 seconds and then let it go, and then repeat a couple of times.

That'll help open up that chest and improve your posture.

Another important muscle group to stretch is the calf muscle.

It runs back here and crosses the ankle.

And the ankle is really, really important to keep a loose because that's our first line of defense for balance.

If your ankle is not moving correctly you can't have good balance reactions and you can have a fall.

So we wanna keep that nice and loose and stretchy and moving well.

So one way to do this, is you're gonna face a wall.

Okay.

And then you're gonna put the leg you wanna stretch in the back, and then a little bit of a balancing leg just ahead, kinda like a lunge, and you put your hands on the wall, and bring this leg forward a little bit more.

There you go.

And then you push this knee straight, and dig your ankle into the ground to get a nice stretch all the way down the back of this leg.

The gastroc muscle, which is the calf muscle runs across the knee and across the ankle.

So we wanna straighten that knee and drive the heel into the ground to get a stretch.

You hold that for a few seconds, 10, 15 seconds, and then you take a step toward the wall to keep your balance, and then you could switch legs to get the other leg.

You always wanna stretch both legs so that you get a nice even stretch.

Maintaining strength can be challenging during a time like this.

Are there things people can do at home?

Yes, absolutely.

And I think that's well covered in the videos but we did bring our little grip strength.

These are very commonly found everywhere.

This is a really neat one 'cause it gives you feedback.

It starts in orange, and then as you grip it and play with it and mess with it it actually turns yellow to tell you that you've been doing it long enough.

What I try to tell people to kind of sneak a little things like this into your life.

So actually like if you're watching TV you can have this right next to your chair.

You could just be gripping [air whooshing] while you're watching a commercial.

You know, and then [air whooshing] by the time you're done with the commercial you've exercised.

And grip strength is really, really important, especially if you have arthritis, because you wanna be able to keep opening those cans and jars and things like that.

[bright upbeat music] So this morning we're going to go over some shoulder and arm exercises.

It's important to do these exercises to be able to reach up overhead, to be able to do self care activities like washing your hair and to be able to lift and carry things.

So some of the exercises are good for posture as well.

So the first thing I would like you to do, we're gonna start at the shoulder, we'll work our way down.

So I need you to go ahead and reach up overhead, and back down, and reach up again and back down.

The next one I want you to do is pull your arms back, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and relax.

This one is especially good for posture.

At one more time.

And you wanna do the exercises nice and slow, hold each one for a couple of seconds.

Next thing I want you to do is curl your elbows, and all the way down.

And all the way back up, and all the way down, good.

And then I want you to hold your elbows beside your waist, and then straighten them.

And all the way back up, and all the way down, good.

Now you can also do your wrist.

So you can just flex your wrist up and down, and then turn your palms over, and then lift them up, and back down.

And then another one I like to do is punching forward, and you can also alternate and do the other side.

Good, alright.

Now, if you cannot do these exercises standing you can also do them sitting down in a chair or a wheelchair even.

And if you don't have weights at home, you can certainly do the exercises without weights or you can use something like a water bottle or a soup can as your weights as well.

Okay, we're gonna demonstrate the arm exercises sitting down.

So we'll go ahead and start with the shoulder and reach up over your head, and back down.

[gentle music] Good, and then we'll punch forward, and back.

Good, and then we'll pull our shoulder blades together, and relax, and back.

Good, and then we'll do elbows, bend, straighten.

Good, and then we'll do our triceps.

You're gonna reach down, and come back up.

Good, and then we'll do wrists.

So bend up, and down.

Good, and then flip over, and up and down.

[bright upbeat music] We're going to go over some leg exercises this morning.

It's important to keep your legs nice and strong to be able to do normal things throughout your day such as walking, getting up and down from a chair, and walking and down the stairs.

So you can do these exercises in your kitchen so that you have a countertop to hang on to.

So you can either keep one hand on the counter or you can face the counter and put both hands on, and you can keep a chair behind you for safety as well.

So we're gonna start with the hip, and work our way down.

So the first exercise I want you to do is a march.

So bring your knee up.

Good, one more time.

Good.

The next exercise I want you to do is a kick to the side.

So straight out to the side, and down.

Good, and the next one, keeping your knees straight.

Kick straight back behind you, and down.

Good, and then we're gonna bend your knee this time.

So bringing your heel up towards your bottom.

Good, good.

And then we'll do a mini squat.

So feet apart a little bit, squat down, and back up, down, and back up.

And then the last one we're gonna go up on your tip toes.

And you can keep your hand on the counter.

[gentle music] And down, good.

One more time, good, okay.

This morning, we're going over some leg exercises that you can do while seated in a chair.

You can do these exercises in any type of chair, whether it is a recliner chair or even a wheelchair.

So you wanna sit up nice and straight, and then we're gonna start with our hip muscles.

So I want you to squeeze your butt cheeks together, and relax, and squeeze again, and relax.

Good, and then we're gonna open and close your knees.

[chair squeaks] Good.

[chair squeaks] And then we're gonna march.

So knees up, good.

One more time.

[gentle music] Good, and then we're gonna kick straight out, [chair squeaks] [gentle music] Good.

And then we'll do our ankles.

So toes up, and then heels up.

Good.

And then another ankle exercise you can do is to sit and move your ankle in a circle.

You can go counterclockwise and clockwise, both ways, and then you can also spell the alphabet.

And that helps to keep your circulation and blood flowing while you're sitting and watching TV.

Mary, you have such a breadth of knowledge.

Are there any tips or tools or things we can do in our home to make things a little easier and keep us safe?

Well, one of the big things we tell everybody is get rid of those throw rugs.

They're really bad tripping hazards and they just don't need to be anywhere in the home.

So first tip get rid of the throat rugs.

Secondly, you want everything to be really well lit in the home because a lot of times, as we get older the vision goes, but also our inner ear system goes a little bit.

So we just don't have good balance in the dark.

So make sure that you have lots of nightlights around everywhere, especially a path to the bathroom, because it's very common for people to fall at night on the way to the bathroom.

There's also a few pieces of adaptive equipment that can really help.

Particularly, if you have trouble reaching your feet, or reaching the floor to pick something up.

One I have here, this is a long handled shoe horn, that you would just insert in the heel of the shoe, and then you could just slide your shoe right on.

Going along with that, they make elastic shoelaces which are really handy because you only have to tie them once.

If you're having a little bit of trouble with arthritis, you just tie them, and then they actually allow you to slide the foot in the shoe without having to untie them.

So that can save you some time and some trouble.

Lastly, there are long-handled reachers that you can use to reach something off the floor.

Now, these things can be found at your local drug stores, they can be found online if you're tech savvy, also at any medical supply company.

Unfortunately, not everything is covered by insurance, a lot of these things you have to pay for out of pocket, but they're relatively inexpensive.

[bright upbeat music] I think one of the scariest things but also one of the more higher level goals that active elders have is getting on and off the floor.

So the question, what do I do if I fall?

How can I get down on the floor to play with my grandchildren?

How do I garden?

All of those kinds of things that you don't want to lose in your functional daily life?

So the best way to get on the floor is to come into a standing position, but make sure that you have a chair kind of nearby, 'cause that's gonna be your crutch for getting up again, okay?

So I'm gonna have you face the chair.

So turn around, and then use that chair, put your hands on the chair, use that to lower yourself down onto one knee and then the other.

So it's nice and controlled.

Very good.

And then you kinda go onto all fours, and then whatever position, whether it's sitting or laying down, you can just kind of maneuver to the position you wanna be.

Yep, and then he's going to come down 'cause he wants to lay down.

He does cervical traction every day, so he has to do this.

So very good.

And then, in order to get up from the floor you make sure that you're not injured if you had a fall, of course, okay?

But you go to the hook lying position, bringing your knees up.

Use this to brace and bring this arm over, so that you have some momentum for rolling onto your side, okay?

And then, he is quick.

He is so good at this.

[laughs] Roll on your side and then you work toward getting on all fours.

You can go ahead.

Then from all fours, you just kinda make your way to your chair as your crutch.

Good job.

And then you use the chair to push up.

So you bring one foot onto the floor, and then push up using your hands and your feet.

And then he's ready to sit.

Good job.

[laughs] Good job.

So let's talk about the fall cycle.

This is a relatively new term to me.

Can you explain to us what it is?

Absolutely, I explain this to all my patients because a lot of people don't know about it.

So it starts with a fear of falling, and that can happen for a multitude of reasons.

You can have an illness or an injury, or just general aging that makes you start to lose your confidence.

Then as you lose your confidence you start to kind of decrease your activity.

You may start to cut out some things you used to enjoy and just not become as active, and so that makes you weaker.

And as you know, as we get older, we get weaker a little faster.

So then that actually can cause a fall.

And then that perpetuates the cycle because the fall obviously will make you more fearful.

And then, you decrease your mobility and activity more, you become weaker still, and then you might fall again.

And this just turns into a vicious cycle.

So what we like to do in therapy or just with general exercise in the older adult population is we try to increase that activity by showing you how to safely increase your confidence and do some exercises to help reverse that cycle.

[bright upbeat music] So one of the big concerns of the elderly population is getting in and out of bed as well as just kind of moving around in bed.

Because sometimes there're some back pain or some stiffness, it just makes you feel stuck.

So one of the really important things to think about when getting in and out of bed is bending your knees to protect your back.

You don't wanna sit straight up because that's a little bit hard on the back, you wanna bend your knees, and if you're feeling a little bit stiff because you've been sleeping all night and just in one position for a long time, you can actually move your knees side to side, like that to kind of loosen up the low back, and you can even kind of hold them in one position just to kinda stretch.

Does that feel okay?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

[gentle music] Okay, and then the first step to getting out of bed is you actually roll onto your side with your knees bent up like that.

Good job.

And then you wanna bring your legs off the edge of the bed.

This is called a log roll that protects your abs and your back.

And then you push up from your elbow and your other hand.

How did that feel?

Great.

Good.

[laughing] He does a very well 'cause he's had a lot of practice.

Yeah, you have some back problems, right?

Yes.

Yeah So that really helps to do that technique.

So now to get back into bed, you just kinda do the reverse.

So you're going to kinda come down onto your side and bring your legs up at the same time.

Stay on your side for a second, just to make sure you're secure.

And then you would roll onto your back like a log.

That's where the log rolling comes from.

Is that doable?

I do it every day.

Yeah, yeah.

[laughing] The other thing is just kind of scooting up in bed and down in bed if you wanna kind of scoot wherever you want to be.

So again, you utilize this hook lying position and then you would use your elbows to kinda scoot your rear end back and forth, and up and down.

Right?

Yep, you do that very well too.

Thank you.

[Mary laughing] [gentle music] Another concern is getting in and out of a chair.

I've been told that there's nothing more embarrassing than being stuck in a chair at a restaurant or somebody's house, and somebody having to help you out of the chair.

So I like to work with the older adults, and techniques on how to do it more independently.

So one of the big concerns is you can't stand up from a chair way from the back of it, okay?

You have to find a way to scoot forward, and that really helps with the biomechanics of it.

So one way to scoot forward, is you kinda push your shoulders into the backrest of the chair, and then you can scoot your rear end forward, okay?

And then you can just kinda sit up there, that's great.

And then the other way, of course is you can just use the arm rest to push forward.

So now that he's at the edge of the chair, that gives him a mechanical advantage for standing up.

So if you do have arms on the chair, which is always ideal, you push up leaning forward a little bit, and then you go into standing.

And you always wanna give yourself a couple seconds in standing to make sure you're not dizzy or off balance or anything before you start walking.

And then you do just exactly the reverse, you wanna make sure to lean forward, reach back for those arms, you know where the chair is, and sit down.

And he did a really great job of kind of getting his rear end tucked to the back of the chair so that he knew he was nice and secure in the chair.

Now, unfortunately sometimes you don't have arms in the chairs.

So in that case, you use that technique, leaning back scooting forward.

Sit up nice and tall.

And now we have a saying called nose over toes because you have to keep that forward momentum to get out of the chair and not fall back in the chair.

So you put your arms straight out in front of you.

Sometimes we say like Superman.

Just like that, very good.

He's very good at this.

So come on back down, just the same way in reverse.

So bring your arms out, tuck your rear end back.

[chair squeaks] Yeah, see how he had to lean forward to do that.

If you really struggle, you can do a rock.

One, two, three, kind of like that to give yourself extra momentum out of the chair.

And another little troubleshooting thing.

If the chair's really low, and you can see that it's low even before you sit down, you can use a cushion.

This is one of our balanced pads.

A lot of people like these, 'cause they're real firm, but you can just use a cushion or a couple of pillows to build the chair up, and that gives you a little bit of a headstart so that you can get out of the chair more easily.

Mary, can you tell me about the balance assessment?

A balance assessment I believe is really important for everybody over the age of 65.

It's almost like go into your Primary Care Physician each year to make sure your health is good.

I am a neurologic physical therapist, as they said, and we specialize in knowing all of these special tests that we do to identify if you're a fall risk.

So we run you through a battery of simple tests.

There's no pain involved.

It's not a big deal, but it's very simple things that have measures for us to know whether you're a fall risk.

So one of the simple tests that you can do for yourself is are you able to stand up out of a chair without pushing up from the arms?

If you can't do that then you are automatically considered a fall risk.

So what you would do is get connected with your doctor to see if there is a physical therapist nearby who could give you a balance assessment to make sure that you can know what to do, and if you are a fall risk.

[bright upbeat music] So this morning, we're going to talk about using canes and walkers safely.

So it's important to know that there's no age requirement for using a cane or a walker.

So anyone who feels a little unbalanced or has had some falls, might be someone who would benefit from using a little bit of support to walk with.

So it's important when you use a device to make sure that it's the right size.

So we're going to go over how to make sure your cane is the right size.

So if you can go ahead and stand up.

Put your arms down by your side.

And then we wanna make sure that the cane is right about the base of your hand when your arms are straight and you're standing.

So this is a good size cane for her, and she's gonna show you how you walk with it.

So go ahead and take that for a test drive.

[gentle music] Then you can turn around.

And you wanna make sure that the foot opposite the cane goes with the cane.

So you're gonna do a cane, left, right, good.

And then turn around.

And then when you go to sit back down always reach your hand back for the armrest of the chair.

Yeah.

And then you can have a seat.

[gentle music] [chair squeaks] So this type of cane is a regular standard cane, it just has a single point on the bottom.

The other type of cane that we're gonna talk about is a quad cane.

So this is a small based quad cane.

They also make a large based quad cane which looks exactly the same, it just has a bigger base that's a little bit wider.

When you use a quad cane, also important to make sure that it is the appropriate size.

And then you also wanna look at the bottom and make sure that the flat side of the legs are up against your body.

So this cane would be set up to use in someone's right hand.

If you were gonna use it in your left hand then you would want to flip the base so that the flat side was against her body.

And that's just to make sure that you don't trip over these legs that are sticking out.

So we use this cane and we size this cane exactly the same as the standard cane.

So if you wanna go ahead and stand up.

And then just walk a couple of steps forward with that cane.

So cane, cane, left foot, and then right foot.

And then turn around.

So make sure that we do cane, left, right, good.

And come all the way back to the chair.

And then you can turn around and have a seat.

[gentle music] [chair squeaks] This is a rollator walker, and we are going to talk about how to use it properly.

The first thing that you always wanna do is make sure that it is the appropriate size And these walkers are adjustable both up here and down at the bottom.

And you just unscrew the pin, take it out, side the pipe up and down, put the pin back in where you want it, and tighten it back up.

So if you wanna stand up, we'll check the height, if you wanna relax your arms down by your side.

And the top of the handle here should meet right at the base of her hand.

So right about here when the arms are straight.

So if you wanna go ahead and take it for a spin, you can unlock the brakes [brakes clatters] and just walk forward a little bit.

Turn around and come back.

With these types of walkers it is important that you keep it nice and close to you that you don't let it get too far away.

And that you keep good posture, you don't wanna hunch over like this when you're using it.

When you sit back down, make sure both of your legs are up against the chair.

Make sure you lock the brakes again, and then make sure you reach your hands back to sit down.

[chair squeaks] These walkers are nice to be able to have a place to sit down if you're walking along distance and you get tired.

However, you always want to make sure it's safe before you sit on it.

So always making sure that the brakes are locked, and then putting the back of the walker up against a stable surface if you are able to find one.

And then, also you never wanna use this type of walker as a wheelchair.

So don't wanna sit on it and scoot forward, because that could result in a fall.

Do you sometimes see people using their canes or their walkers inappropriately?

Are there safe and unsafe ways to use them?

All the time I see people using the assisted devices inappropriately it's very tempting for me to go up to them and help them [laughing] all day long.

I bet.

So one big point that I wanted to make is there's a big difference between what we call a rollator walker, which is the kind with the four wheels and the seat, and just the regular standard rolling walker which just has the two wheels on the front.

They're kind of that silver color usually.

So the rollator, which has the four wheels and the seat is very handy for somebody who has respiratory pulmonary problems.

They have difficulty breathing.

It's very easy to roll, very easy to steer, and it's very convenient for them because they can sit when they're tired.

However, if you have balance problems this is not the kind of walker that we recommend for you.

It's the kind that everybody thinks is the "Cadillac" but it's actually not good for somebody who has a big balance problem.

You wanna use the silver kind with the two wheels in the front, because as you press down on the walker, the wheels won't come out from under you, so it provides a lot more stability.

Speaking on canes, they can be helpful or harmful.

They can actually be a tripping hazard if you use them unappropriately.

So I would definitely work with a physical therapist or somebody very knowledgeable about canes to help you learn how to use it correctly.

Finally, you wanna make sure that your assisted device is the correct height, as shown in the video, because that can really have a positive or negative impact on your balance and your posture.

Mary, I have to tell you I've been taking notes here.

I can think of a couple of loved ones who really will benefit from your advice already.

That's just me personally speaking.

Thank you.

[laughing] So now that we've got a plan to be more active in a safe way, how can we ensure mental wellness?

Dr. May are people who have not had any behavioral health difficulties before, now presenting with problems?

In the behavioral health community we are seeing an increase of people, both experiencing difficulties and seeking treatment.

Previously, approximately one out of five adults reported behavioral health symptoms.

And now those numbers are more like two out of five with some research demonstrating, even higher numbers.

I have to tell you, Dr. May, I'm not at all surprised by those numbers.

Are you surprised by them?

I'm not.

My own self, I'm a clinician and I've had difficulties with feeling depressed and anxious at times.

As we said it before everything has changed, and even with recent holidays, they've all had to change.

We are not connecting with people or participating in activities as we used to, and it does feel different.

Do you believe people are open about how they feel?

I believe that people are generally open.

However, sometimes people have difficulty recognizing that what they're experiencing is a behavioral health issue.

Or they may be feeling like, this is something only I am experiencing when the reality is, we are all experiencing different feelings and a variety of feelings.

Yeah, I certainly have had many nights where I've been a bit sleepless.

So I'm curious, how can we learn to relax our bodies when we're feeling that anxiety, or the fear, or the sadness?

There are actually a number of mindfulness or relaxation strategies that one can use.

A good one is just implementing some deep breathing.

Another one might be using some positive self-talk and that will help us move our thoughts from a negative state to a more positive state.

Things like guided imagery can be helpful because it helps us to think of a different or more comforting place or location.

Even doing a body scan, which is actually scanning your body for where you might be holding tension.

And being able to release that muscle tension, can help us relax and prepare for sleep.

There are also activities such as journaling or listening to music that can help put us in a different state of mind.

When might it be helpful to reach out to a professional for help?

Those are important things to be aware of, are important times to be aware of.

It's important to reach out for professional help when you are unable to participate in your normal routines because of the way you're feeling.

Perhaps you're feeling too distressed to take care of yourself or your home.

If you find that you're not enjoying life as you once had, and you just don't really feel like participating in activities, then it's time to reach out.

Especially, if it's disrupting your sleep, or if you notice you're either not eating as much or eating more to cope with feelings, that can also be an indicator.

It's especially helpful to reach out, if you are experiencing suicidal feelings or have a desire to harm yourself, and are finding that you just have less will to live.

Do you have to go to a clinic or a doctor's office for help?

There are actually a wide variety of ways to seek help in our community.

Many offices are offering telehealth appointments, and those can be accomplished through the phone or video.

However, if you prefer to be seen in person, a lot of offices are accommodating folks that way too.

So however you feel most comfortable and seeking assistance, there are ways in the community to obtain that help.

Our local crisis services line is [814] 456-2014.

And there are people available 24 seven to answer your call.

So for those who are hesitant to take that first step, 'cause it is a little daunting for some, do you feel like now is the time to act?

Do you think people are hesitant because they think, this too shall pass or I'm okay, is there a benefit to taking that first step?

I think that could certainly be happening.

I think also with COVID people may be afraid to go out to offices and seek assistance.

Sure.

No matter how long this lasts, and that's part of the issue is, it's unpredictable right now.

But no matter how long this last, help is available.

And it is always better to seek help earlier rather than later, as that gives you more time to get the support.

Even if you only need the support for a short time, that's okay.

There are people available in this community to assist you.

Can we talk more about the social isolation and what people may be experiencing, especially now as we're hearing that the older population should stay at home and distance from other people?

I do think it's important to talk about social isolation, and it's important to realize that that may mean different things for different people.

Some people may have enough connection by saying hello to the clerk at the grocery store once a week, when they go to get groceries at their early socially protected times for folks.

For other people, they may have lost family connections or church connections, and maybe feeling very isolated.

So it's important to develop a social connection plan.

Let's talk about that social connection plan.

I'm sure that my plan may be very different than your plan and somebody else's plan.

How do we even go about this?

Well, the first thing is really to think about what kind of social connection are you missing and would you desire.

Like you said, everybody's plan may be different, but it's actually an active plan to increase your social connection.

For those of you that may be missing family and friends it may be helpful to have someone teach you how to use video pro platforms on your devices.

So then you could maybe have connection with neighbors or grandchildren or family members and see them as well as hear them.

If you are not interested in using video, even having regular phone conversations can help.

Some of the local schools are even doing pen pal programs, so that you could reach out and write a card and receive mail.

Even writing letters to people and sending cards it's nice to receive and send written communication like that, and that may be one thing you can do from home.

And no matter what, there are always people who are here for you and care for you.

And I know Dr. May you share that sentiment with me as well?

Definitely.

It's so easy to feel like we are completely alone especially when we can't be face-to-face in person with the people that we care about the most.

And I feel like that's something we're all going through right now.

I really like this idea of a social connection plan.

I'm one, if there's a problem, I want to fix it.

So Dr. May, I love that you've suggested that we take those action steps.

How important is this for us to sort of do something, not not just feel the way that we feel, but do something about it?

It is very important because it is through action that we can change.

We can change our feelings and change our thoughts.

So actions around your home, such as implementing exercise and some of the steps that Mary has mentioned earlier in the program, could be very helpful both and changing how you're feeling in maintaining your personal safety.

Activities in your home such as, perhaps looking through photographs and organizing things or organizing a drawer that typically you may not have time to do now would be a perfect opportunity to take those steps.

One of the things that I've talked about in my circle of close people has been, this is hard on everybody, whether you're extremely busy and juggling everything or everything that you're used to doing socially is kind of taken away temporarily.

How do we sort of fix that?

How do we acknowledge that this is an issue that everybody's struggling with, but in such a different way, depending on who the person is and what their lifestyle is like?

I believe really the first step is acknowledging that we do feel that way and we are missing our activities.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

The thing to remember is we're changing activities and not able to do things now, but not forever.

We'll get back to our favorite activities.

And until then, incorporating some new things.

Perhaps doing some puzzles at home or communicating with others in ways that we've mentioned or making some social connections can be helpful.

There are ways to play games online if you're interested in that, or if you can get the video chat programs working maybe doing a game night with other friends there are lots of ways that we can stay connected and active and it's very important to do so.

One of the things we hear is very difficult for so many people is not having the ability to gather together, to worship.

How do we make peace with that?

Well, I think we could first acknowledge that it's difficult for us and that we miss that.

Many churches and religious organizations are offering remote sessions or services, and that would be so important to take part of if you can.

Even if you can only hear the sermon and not see it, that's equally as important.

So that you're getting the message and taking part in some regular routine that you used to.

In addition, many people in your organization are likely feeling the same way.

So it may be helpful to reach out to other people you know in your organization that live alone, or you would like to connect to, and create your own community that way.

It is really difficult to not be able to do the things that we're used to doing, whether they're family traditions or day-to-day activities.

I know some people like to go and play bingo or gathered together for Sunday brunch, and we just can't do that right now.

How do we cope with this?

How do we fill our time with something entertaining when the things we love aren't possible right now?

Well, I think it's important to think about how can you tweak the things you love, and that you've done out in the public so that you can do them at home.

Again, connecting with others is a wonderful way to do that.

You can have game night or bingo night with others on zoom or using some other video type of device.

You can talk with others.

You can even see people if you are spaced and wearing a mask, and doing so in a safe manner.

I think the important thing is that we stay active.

Incorporating many of the activities and exercises that Mary mentioned can be helpful, using this time to organize your home can be helpful, but also taking care of yourself.

This is a perfect opportunity to implement healthy lifestyle activities.

Maybe learning some new healthy dishes to cook or taking care of your belongings in a different way.

Sorting through things, organizing, maybe getting rid of some things that you may have too many of.

You could also utilize exercise, maybe take up a new hobby or pull out a hobby that you used to participate in and maybe have put aside.

There are a lot of ways to stay active, and this is a great opportunity to do so which will help fill your time and help your mood.

And for those who are very busy to organize their time, I love that you say every day or every week make that list of things to do.

I think that's gonna be helpful for so many people.

And Dr. Lisa May and Dr. Mary Kingston, thank you so much for helping us to reflect and learn a little more about how we can improve our overall wellness in a safe way, right where we live.

Before we go, I'd like to leave you with one final thought.

While we all know our preference is to be with each other in person, keeping everyone safe for now may not allow it, just for now, not forever.

So until we are able to hold hands, hug, and be together, we want you to know, you are well loved by many.

We care for you because you once cared for us.

Thank you.

And if you're looking for additional resources you can always go to the Active ELDERS YouTube page.

Take care.

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