Geezers in training & COVID-19

It seems like everyone is talking about, or at least thinking about, the COVID-19 pandemic. Oh, you don’t know what COVID-19 is? That’s the technical name for “Coronavirus”. We are being told time and again about its dangers to us and how to reduce our vulnerability to it.

So as one geezer-in- training to another, it’s my turn to state some of the obvious. This is a great opportunity for older people to let ourselves be trained and re-trained in being responsible members of our broader community.

At the time I’m writing this column, Idaho just announced its first identified coronavirus case.

As we move forward, it is wise to take already-identified precautions seriously: wash our hands often, cough/sneeze into the crook in our arms, keep physical contact with others to a minimum, practice “social distancing” when you feel it is appropriate, or stay 3-6 feet away from others when you can.

However you go through your daily routines and your self-talk, I also encourage you to practice what I’ve come to call “responsible balance.” That simply means to balance your real concerns about the virus with common sense. Try not to over-react to gossip or news sources.

Then make what you believe are decisions that are responsible to your own well-being and to the well-being of other persons. If, for instance, you know someone who decides to self-quarantine, continue to pay attention to that person. Don’t let self-quarantine become self-isolation.

Likewise, if you decide not to attend a gathering you normally go to, let someone know your decision so your friends know why you aren’t with them. If friends know this, they may make a more intentional effort to stay connected with you. I hope they do!

And that brings me to The Geezer Forum. While a typical forum meeting brings 30-50 people together, it isn’t large by some standards. But regardless of the number attending, we are predominately in that higher-risk category of “older adults.” So we need to practice a responsible balance, don’t you think?

But at this point in time, with us not knowing whether the COVID-19 is present in our area, the decision is less clear as to whether to hold Geezer Forums in the near future. I have contacted the persons who are slated to lead our forums through May.

To date I have heard from one speaker, PJ Christo of the Alzheimer’s Association. She was scheduled for our next forum, on March 25. PJ’s choice is to be cautious about group gatherings, so she asked to re-schedule being with us! Therefore at this point, our March 25 Geezer Forum on “Communication Strategies for People with Dementia” has been canceled. We have tentatively re-scheduled PJ to be with us on June 9.

Our April 14 Geezer Forum Dr. Vincent Huntsberger is our designated speaker on the ER at Bonner General Health. On the one hand, the virus concern would be a timely case study in learning how the ER responds to people with this or some other emergency.

But we also don’t want bring people together on April 14 if it would be compromising persons’ health. So a decision has yet to be made whether that forum will happen. Stay tuned!

Paul Graves, M.Div., is lead geezer-in-training for Elder Advocates, a consulting ministry on aging issues. Contact Paul at 208-610-4971 or elderadvocates@nctv.com.