{"id":2508,"date":"2020-09-17T11:34:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T15:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/?post_type=resource&#038;p=2508"},"modified":"2025-08-28T10:45:56","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T14:45:56","slug":"caring-for-older-adults-during-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/caring-for-older-adults-during-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Caring for Older Adults During COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2508\" class=\"elementor elementor-2508\" data-elementor-post-type=\"resource\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ecde08a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3ecde08a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b188330 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1b188330\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p><span data-teams=\"true\"><i>This<\/i><i> resource<\/i><i> was published in<\/i><i> 2020<\/i><i>. The data may be out of date.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p>While COVID-19 has amplified conversations about mental well-being, some older adults may be unwilling or unable to discuss how the pandemic has affected them psychologically. This difficulty poses a unique challenge for informal caregivers who are concerned for the mental well-being of loved ones. If you\u2019re caring for an older adult who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being during the pandemic, the following tips may be helpful.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Start a conversation<\/strong><br \/>Older adults might not be comfortable discussing declines in their mental well-being. They may even find direct questions about it offensive. To help broach the topic, consider statements that begin with \u201cI\u2019ve noticed lately . . . \u201d followed by \u201cI\u2019m concerned\/worried . . . \u201d Remember, while it could take several attempts to engage your loved one in such a conversation, it\u2019s important that you continue to check in with them.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Ask about changes<\/strong><br \/>Changes in behaviour can indicate a decline in mental well-being or act as a warning sign of future distress. To help you gauge how your loved one is doing psychologically, ask these types of questions about changes to their routines and social habits:<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>How have you been sleeping?<\/li>\n<li>How has your appetite been?<\/li>\n<li>Have you been keeping up with your hobbies?<\/li>\n<li>Have you been in touch with your friends recently?<\/li>\n<li>Have you been going to your appointments?<\/li>\n<li>How is your physical health?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Such inquiries may also open to the door to more sensitive questions, like how their mood has been or whether they\u2019ve experienced any losses that may be contributing to behavioral changes.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Listen attentively<\/strong><br \/>While an older adult may never say, \u201cI\u2019m feeling depressed,\u201d they may say, \u201cnothing matters\u201d or \u201cthere\u2019s no point.\u201d If your loved one makes such apathetic statements, especially if that\u2019s out of character for them, dig deeper. Ask them what doesn\u2019t matter or why there\u2019s no point.<\/p>\n\n<p>Also listen for comments related to death, increased substance use, or a lack of adherence to medication schedules. These types of remarks, which could further indicate a decline in mental well-being, need to be addressed.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Offer validation<\/strong><br \/>If a loved one shares their struggles with you, avoid responding with \u201cat least . . . \u201d statements, which can minimize their experience. Focus instead on validating their emotions with phrases such as, \u201cWith everything you\u2019ve been going through, it\u2019s understandable that you\u2019re feeling down.\u201d Your loved one will be more likely to continue sharing when they feel they\u2019re being heard and understood.<\/p>\n\n<p>For more guidance on empathetic listening, see our <a href=\"\/?p=2538\">tips on talking to someone in crisis during COVID 19<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Encourage safe outings<\/strong><br \/>If your loved one is comfortable going outside, encourage them to do so, especially if they have someone who can safely accompany them. Getting out of the house is an opportunity for social interaction, physical activity, and connection with nature, all of which can help reduce anxiety.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Seek external support<\/strong><br \/>Explore mental health resources for older adults and caregivers alike. To find mental health services near you, contact <a href=\"https:\/\/cmha.ca\/find-your-cmha\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">your local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association<\/a>. Services may also be available in your community to help with things like meal delivery, transportation to appointments, and telephone check-ins.<\/p>\n\n<p>If you\u2019re caring for a person with dementia, visit Alzheimer\u2019s Society of Canada specialized <a href=\"https:\/\/alzheimer.ca\/en\/Home\/Living-with-dementia\/managing-through-covid-19\/tips-caregivers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tips for caregivers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>If they have access to the internet, encourage your loved one to review our <a href=\"\/?p=2569\">tips on how older adults can protect their mental wellness during<\/a> COVID-19. The <a href=\"https:\/\/fountainofhealth.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fountain of Health website<\/a> also has helpful information on optimal aging and lots of practical resources to promote mental and physical wellness.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Take care of yourself<\/strong><br \/>When you\u2019re preoccupied with concern for a loved one, it can be easy to neglect your own needs. But to be an effective caregiver, you must also care for yourself. Check the pulse on your own mental well-being regularly and get support when you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed. Don\u2019t be too proud to ask for and accept help of any kind. If possible, reach out to other caregivers who can relate to some of your challenges.<\/p>\n\n<p>For further guidance, see the blog posts on <a href=\"\/?p=2422\">self-care<\/a> and <a href=\"\/?p=21398\">checking in with yourself<\/a> by Denise Waligora, a Mental Health Commission of Canada <a href=\"\/?page_id=6973\">Mental Health First Aid<\/a> training and delivery specialist.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This resource was published in 2020. The data may be out of date. While COVID-19 has amplified conversations about mental well-being, some older adults may be unwilling or unable to discuss how the pandemic has affected them psychologically. This difficulty poses a unique challenge for informal caregivers who are concerned for the mental well-being of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":25278,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[189,191],"tags":[],"program":[],"program-area":[131,269,165],"audience":[122],"covid-hub-category":[450],"health-canada":[842],"class_list":["post-2508","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","category-tip-sheets","program-area-caregivers","program-area-covid","program-area-older-adults","audience-for-you","covid-hub-category-at-home","health-canada-equityindiversity"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v28.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Caring for Older Adults During COVID-19 - Mental Health Commission of Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you\u2019re caring for an older adult who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being during the pandemic, these tips may be helpful.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/caring-for-older-adults-during-covid-19\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Caring for Older Adults During COVID-19\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you\u2019re caring for an older adult who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being during the pandemic, these tips may be helpful.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/resource\/caring-for-older-adults-during-covid-19\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mental Health Commission of Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mental-health-commission-of-canada\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-28T14:45:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Caregiving-older-Asian-male-with-younger-Asian-female-supporting-scaled-e1637084301824.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/resource\\\/caring-for-older-adults-during-covid-19\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mentalhealthcommission.ca\\\/resource\\\/caring-for-older-adults-during-covid-19\\\/\",\"name\":\"Caring for Older Adults During COVID-19 - 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