My Big Worry: People My Age, I am 85, Will Be Indoors Indefinitely
The news today is all about getting back to normal and huge differences of opinion about how fast to reopen. But everyone seems to agree that the most vulnerable must continue to stay at home. The most vulnerable may mean people who are over 65. In Massachusetts where I live, Governor Baker suggested on May 18th in his speech they should be staying home for now. But definitely, vulnerable means people over 80. We old folks are constantly being told, “Take care and stay vigilant.” “You need to continue to stay at home.” “It is not safe for you to go out.”
Let’s talk about who’s truly vulnerable in the pandemic: people who live in nursing homes. One-third of those who have died of the virus in the US lived at a nursing home. Clearly, there needs to be more oversight of nursing homes. But how many of you know that only 5% of old people live in nursing homes? The other 95% of old people live in cities and towns, homes, and apartments, in all sorts of levels of health and activity.
We seem to be lumping every one of a certain age as “old and vulnerable” and have decided that the safest course of action is to keep them in their homes. Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines encourages those over 60 to “stay at home as much as possible.” And some people imply that it might make sense for all old people to…
