The whole world is going through tough and rough times, and we are all adjusting to “the new normal.” This means working from home (if possible), wearing a mask when going out, disinfecting anything and everything, and of course, social distancing above all. While we can all get used to seeing our friends on camera and spending long hours online together, when it comes to family, things are a bit different. The elderly are especially vulnerable, and they are often not tech-savvy, which means that staying in touch can be tricky, but it still can be done.
Video call each other
Fortunately for everyone, there’s an abundance of reliable apps and tools that you can use to video call others for free. Skype is probably the oldest one – you can have long video calls with many other participants, and you can even call non-Skype users, as well as landline numbers. Still, as popular as Skype used to be, Zoom has emerged as the most prominent video call and hangout option these days. Still, if you’re using a free version of Zoom, remember that video sessions are limited to only 40 minutes. Google Hangouts, on the other hand, has no such limitations, and with so many people who have their Gmail account, you can have long video calls with your friends and family. The downside, however, is that only ten people can join at the same time.
Make an old-school call
With so many messaging apps on the market, it’s incredibly easy to stay in touch, but the elderly can find mastering such apps a big challenge. Until they get the hang of it, why don’t you give them an old-fashioned phone call? Generally speaking, we are a generation that prefers to communicate via texts and emails, but hearing the voice of your loved ones is truly special. Another upside is that even the oldest members of our families are comfortable with phones and love chatting for longer periods of time. Also, as convenient as texting is, hearing your voice will cheer them up a lot and probably make their day, so try to pick a specific time of the day or the week when you’ll call your family to make sure they are well.
Send them a cute surprise
It can be heartbreaking not to be able to spend holidays with your family, but it doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to show them you’re thinking of them. Holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, and other celebrations call for flowers, and even though you can’t show up with a huge bouquet on their doorstep, you can order beautiful flowers online and send them to your family’s address. The best thing is – some websites allow you to pay at the time that’s more convenient to you while still delivering the flowers you’ve ordered. By sending beautiful flowers, you can express your joy, extend your congratulations, or send your condolences even when you’re not able to be there in person.
Go for a socially distanced walk
If you’re hoping to maintain that sense of normalcy we all crave so much, it’s a great idea to be physically active. With so many gyms being closed, it’s easy to get out of shape and feel down. There are, however, still activities that you can do while social distancing, and you can even include other people. If you have pets, arrange a social distance dog walk with other members of your family: wear masks, stay six feet away from each other, and walk your pets up and down the street or take them to a nearby park. Of course, you should be extra careful and make sure you’re not too close to others, but at the same time, you’ll be spending quality time together, engaged in an activity that’s beneficial for your body and mind.
Listen to music together
Music is incredibly powerful: it can make us feel better when we’re down, it can lift our spirits when we’re sad and lonely, and it can give us energy and motivation to tackle something big that awaits us that day. You don’t have to play an instrument or sing to express your feelings through music. We’ve all sent different songs to our friends with the caption “made me think of you,” so why don’t we do something similar for our family too? Create a playlist for your family or even different lists for different family members. What is more, you can use Spotify to create playlists together. A collaborative playlist allows you and your family members or friends to add and listen to all of your favorite songs.
Feed them without cooking for them
There aren’t many places in the world right now where you can go out to eat like we used to do before the pandemic, and even big family dinners are out of the question because we shouldn’t gather in large numbers. If you’re one of those people who enjoy eating out or cooking for your family, this can be disheartening, but it doesn’t mean you can’t feed your family from a distance. A lot of restaurants deliver food since we can’t eat out, so why not call your favorite family restaurant and order dinner for your family. It’s going to be a wonderful surprise for them since they won’t have to go out and buy groceries for that meal, and they also won’t have to cook. Give them a video call when the food arrives, and you can share a meal while social distancing.
Conclusion
It looks like we found ourselves in the midst of the most interesting times: natural disasters, political turmoil, the brink of economic crisis, and the middle of a worldwide pandemic of coronavirus. Nobody said that interesting times are going to be all fun and games, and so it seems that, while the world is changing in front of us, we should witness it all from the comfort of our homes while social distancing. Staying in touch with your loved ones while social distancing isn’t easy, but it possible if you get creative, so try to do it for them.
