Winter is already a trying time for some seniors. COVID-19 will make it worse

Georgiana Del Casino has spent most of the past eight months alone inside her one-bedroom apartment in New Westminster, B.C., but the 82-year-old feels even more isolated now because a COVID-19 outbreak in her complex means she can't even visit with people down the hallway.

"It's depressing," she said.

"I have one friend, and he is 94 years old. He doesn't want to come here now and he doesn't want to be in contact with me, so that is really difficult."

Even before COVID-19 forced people to spend more time apart from familyand friends, social isolation was a major problem among seniors.

WATCH: Georgiana Del Casino describes how COVID-19 and restrictions have made her feel more isolated:

Georgiana Del Casino

4 years ago

Duration 0:56

Georgiana Del Casino, 82, describes how COVID-19 and restrictions have made her feel more isolated.

A2014 report by the National Seniors Council concluded that 50 per cent of people over the age of 80 felt lonely.

With the pandemic grinding on, researchers say those feelings have been heightened, which is why advocates and social service agencies are trying to find additional ways to connect with those who feel cut off.

Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard, chair of the National Seniors Council and director of the Research Centre on Aging at the University of Moncton, said winter is alreadya stressful time as outings are limited.

This year, the cold weather will arriveafter many have already spent months isolating.

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As part of her research through the university, Dupuis-Blanchard has been surveying seniors who live in the community and saysmany feel they've been forgotten.

Health effects of isolation

"A lot of attention has been put on seniors in long-term care, with reason, but there are also these groups of seniors in the community who are dependent on formal and informal care for which the pandemic has had quite an impact as well," she said.

She said seniors who are living alone and socially disconnected are particularly vulnerable to having theirmental and physical health decline.

They are less likely to be physically active and more likely to have a poor diet, which Dupuis-Blanchard said can lead to cardiovascular problems or a higher risk of falling.

Del Casino used to enjoy daily outings, including swimming.

Now if the weather and her arthritis aren't too bad, she will go for a walk around the neighbourhood. She spends the rest of her time knitting and watching more television than she ever has before.

With her family living on Vancouver Island, Del Casinosigned up to receive a daily telephone call from the Seniors Services Society of B.C. and the occasional grocery delivery.

She said the conversations are a bright spot in her morning, butaren't the same as meeting up with someone in person.

Volunteer drive

At the beginning of the pandemic, social service agencies across Canada put out a plea for volunteers to help people who were isolating by deliveringfood and prescription drugs, or by checking in with a phone call or a video chat.

As the first wave began, B.C. launched the Safe Seniors, Strong Communities program thatis being run through the United Way and its network of community agencies.

More than 15,000 seniors were referred to the program between March and the end of September.

"We know that there are a fair number of hidden seniorswho are extremely isolated and vulnerable," said Kahir Lalji, provincial director of healthy aging for the United Way.

He said some of the "ultra-isolated" have been identified through contact with paramedics, police officers and religious organizations.

Nearly 2000 new volunteers have been deployed through the B.C.program so far, and Lalji said in the first six months they delivered twice as many services to seniors as they normally do in a year.

The average age of the new volunteers is 36, which is significant: traditionally more than half of those helping outwith the United Way's seniorprogram are seniors themselves.

Seniors disconnected

In a church basement in Chilliwack, B.C., Kelly Velonis packs food hampers for low income seniors.She is executive director of the Chilliwack and District Seniors' Resources Society.

Before the pandemic, about 85 per cent of its volunteers were seniors, but most ofthem have now stepped aside.

"They were unable to volunteer due to their own health and they aren't really feeling safe," said Velonis.

Not only does it mean the society is now short a driver to drop off food hampers, it also meansseniors who volunteeredas a way to spend time with othersare now more isolated, she said.

Nearly all of the other programs that were offered at the seniors centre, like Zumba and chair yoga, have been shut down.

Even a class to teach seniors how to use Skype and Zoom had to be cancelled because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases and provincial restrictions.

They are trying to provide that tech help now over the phone, and putprogramming online for seniors who are already comfortable using the internet.

"A lot of our seniors are widowed and a lot of them live alone," said Velonis.

Staff and volunteers are also reaching out by phone and email just to check in to see how people are doing.

"We have to try to connect in different ways, making sure that people [who] are alonedon't feel alone."