Are you an older adult or a caregiver to one living in New Brunswick?
If you are, there are government and community resources available to help maintain mental and physical well-being during COVID-19. This is a difficult time, and it can be especially hard for older adults who are at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill from the virus. Caring for an older adult at this time also brings increased demands.
While staying home and physically distancing is the most effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19, these measures can also cause feelings of isolation and loneliness. Household bubbles and limits on contact between people can make caregiving more difficult, especially if you live in a different zone of the province.
Finding the right kind of help when you need it can be overwhelming.
To empower New Brunswick older adults and their caregivers with the knowledge to stay well, the Department of Social Department has created two wellness guides: Older Adults’ Wellness During COVID-19: A Guide, and Caregiving to Older Adults During COVID-19: A Guide.
Whether you’re an older adult or someone who cares for one, you aren’t alone. These toolkits will help keep you informed and provide guidance to access the help you need. Each gathers various information and resources that relates to daily life during a pandemic and puts them in one, easy-to-access guide. In each, you will find information about:
- Physical fitness
- Mental health
- Socializing while remaining physically distant
- Getting connected if you aren’t online
- Nutrition (including grocery delivery and meal services)
- Self-care resources
- Vaccine information
Both guides are free and downloadable.
Older Adults’ Wellness During COVID-19: A Guide
The older adults’ guide provides information and resources to help New Brunswick residents aged 60 and older stay home and remain independent, resilient and connected to loved ones and communities during the pandemic. Inside, you will find resources on:
- Staying active while at home
- Staying positive and ways to reduce stress
- Knowing when to get help with your mental health
- Avoiding social isolation and loneliness
- Connecting online
- Learning about technology to get online
- Creating a plan in case you need to self-isolate or become ill
- Tips on grocery shopping
- Meal delivery and specialized grocery services
- Financial help when you need it
- Information about vaccines and immunization
Caregiving to Older Adults During COVID-19: A Guide
Caregiving is demanding, particularly when there are restrictions on contact, household bubbles and travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges around caregiving affect many people, as one in four Canadians is an unpaid caregiver to someone who needs help due to a physical or cognitive condition, an injury, or a chronic or life-limiting illness.
The caregivers’ guide has two sections:
- An overview of resources for your older family member or friend. It provides ideas about how to help them stay active, connected and feeling positive. There are links to New Brunswick organizations and online resources that can support their physical and mental health and help with daily activities.
- A collection of resources for you, the caregiver, to maintain your health and well-being and avoid burnout.
Self-care for a caregiver isn’t selfish. The person you are caring for needs you to be healthy. When you feel good, you are a better caregiver. To rate your level of stress as a caregiver, fill out the questionnaire in the guide.
Tips on navigating this PDF
Features within this guide help make it more accessible for everyone. Zooming in or zooming out using your web browser’s view under the toolbar menu at the top of your window can increase or decrease the size of the document to make it more readable for you. If you’re using a PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat or Google Drive, use the + and - buttons to zoom in and out. Readers can also access additional resources by clicking on an underlined word within the document that connects with a link from a hypertext file to another online location.
Other Resources that can help:
- 211: A free, bilingual, confidential phone line to help New Brunswickers navigate community, social, non-clinical health and government services for everyday needs and times of crisis.
- Seniors' Toll-Free Info Line: 1-855-550-0552: Information about New Brunswick government programs and services for seniors.
- Department of Social Development: 1-833-733-7835: Information on home support, respite or residential care, or seniors’ health and well-being programs.
- Government of New Brunswick COVID-19 website: found here.
- The GNB COVID-19 vaccine website: found here.
Protecting Seniors From Fraud and Financial Abuse During COVID-19
Social distancing to curb the spread of COVID-19 can put older New Brunswickers at greater risk of financial exploitation. Seniors who feel isolated may be less likely to think critically. This can make them more susceptible to scam artists and perpetrators of financial abuse, who purposefully target the vulnerable.
There are ways to protect seniors from scams, fraud and financial abuse during COVID-19. The Financial and Consumer Services Commission has created a webpage with information to help keep older adults safe during the pandemic. Click here to visit the webpage.
