Since this whole thing began I have had a number of thoughts on just how senior citizens are dealing with the effects of this crazy virus. There have been many news reports and podcasts sympathetic and full of advise toward those who are pregnant, children or workers. So much has been said about how to make the most of this terrible situation but, very little of it has been directed towards the elderly. Why is that?
I haven't felt the same love extended to those in the sixty-five plus age category as I have for other groups. Whereas there is positive support for the younger crowd to bolster their spirits and practical suggestions posited for how to do that, there seems to be a cold and calculated approach to those in the elder range.
What do elders think and feel when they hear all day long on the news how older people will die? They just are so old and have so much wrong with them that it is inevitablly fatal according to most reports. Yes, there are the feel good miracle stories of this or that ninety year old who has survived and has a positive message for us all. But, it seems a bit forced to me.
Most of the news coverage about the effects upon the elderly have fell flat as far as I am concerned. They lack real empathy and concern. Where are the senior exercise classes, thoughts for the day, or encouragement to learn a phrase a day in Portuguese or German? What about the elderly talking on camera about their daily experiences under this lockdown?
The answer is that we need to do better. As persons of faith we are called to respect the gift of life from conception to natural death. We need to come up with practical ways to express that. The elders of society were once thought to be a source of wisdom for our greater society. They were considered the bearers of wisdom and historical information. Now, we go to google for that!
In a time when we look up to and worship technology, that inevitably means that we relegate the elders to the trash bin of life, just like our old DVD players. The elders are invisible because they have not, by and large, embrassed the so-called advance of technology. They may not be using Apple Pay instead preferring good old paper currency. They may prefer the telephone and mail box to ZOOM, Facetime, or email. They often have older computers and don't wish to update them every other day.
No Tik-Tok, instagram, Pinterest, and suffice it to say they might not even be thinking of what essential Apps they need for the week to come! Shall I go on? You know that I will. Heaven forbid they might still have a dictionary to look up a word, want to pay by check, or prefer to see their children in-person rather than see them on a screen. This makes them invisible.
Our answer frequently is to get them a tablet, or an i-Phone. It might save their life we think. This blog post has been percolating in my mind during the past six weeks as I have dealt with the elders in my life. Oh yes and I forgot some of them still prefer percolated coffee over all the other top coffee contenders of our day!
How can we do better? The answer is to get off our high horse and stop thinking that we are smarter than they are or that technology has all the answers. What would you do if there was a power outage? If you are like my neighbor, you rush right over to see if I still have power or a generator capable of recharging her mobile phone.
I could see the stress and alarm she was suffering over the low energy bars indicated on her phone. Was there a, hi, how are you doing in there somewhere? You know the answer to that. What if there is one of those wars where an enemy knocks out the other countries internet? Are you breaking into a cold sweat just thinking about that? Be very afraid because, the elders might just be the only ones who know how to take over if that happens.
Some of my experiences with the elderly during this pandemic have been extraordinary. The first few calls that I received when the full scope of the Wuhan virus was known were from men and women who were past the age of eighty. The strength and spiritual maturity that they showed me was life-changing and helped fortify me for the days ahead. Their concern was real and their love heartfelt.
Hearing their collective experiences of previous wars, disease outbreaks and financial downturns put much of what we are currently experiencing into perspective. The biblical verses of comfort and godly thoughts they expressed far exceeded my awareness. Their leadership on this terrible pandemic rang so true that I couldn't help but be inspired.
The thing that didn't inspire me was the way that many of these elders had been left out of all the things offered on ZOOM or Facebook, including bible studies and church services. While others in my church can attend our Sunday school, women's bible study classes or even the church's annual meeting online some of the elderly are left with no spiritual services at all.
I thought about calling the church on their behalf. Yet, the church did not ask my opinion, nor did those effected request my assistance. Perhaps it is not what God has anointed me to do? What I decided to do instead was to reach out on my own in whatever ways that seem to make sense.
Reaching out to people requires you to care about and understand their lives. That means spending time with people in meaningful ways. During this lockdown I decided to try and maintain a regular schedule of calling to my senior friends. They gave me much, much more than what I was able to offer them. I investigated their phone and computer situations to see if there was any way my husband and I could talk them through the process of getting ZOOM or livestreaming the church service.
I even thought of loaning out extra tablets that I have to several people. But, I soon learned that they did not have the necessary internet service in place so that I could activate the devices. I also was able to ascertain that several elders did not have a computer capable of getting the audio portion of the livestreamed Sunday service.
I was dissapointed but, my husband suggested using both our mobile phones and his Bluetooth speaker to hook them in when we livestream midweek bible study and Sunday service. Happily it worked! Since they had no visuals, I told them to imagine they were listening to a radio broadcast of our Pastor. I couldn't help but feel that we need to try and find other ways to meet their needs. Not the way we want to do it (technologically) but in a way that would matter to them. I found a lot of them don't want to be forced to use the computer for everything.
I am thinking about sending homemade cards in the mail this week? I could make and drop off a cloth mask at their house. I could asked them if they are stocked up for food. I wish television stations would add some classes for seniors to their programming. Many would prefer to just put their television on. Can you think of anything to do? I respect my elders more than ever these days. As I talked on the telephone to them, I saw a rich inner resourcefulness, patience, virtue and a deep faithfulness to God. God bless them all and keep them safe.
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