{"id":227,"date":"2023-09-11T14:19:34","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T14:19:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/?p=227"},"modified":"2023-11-01T17:50:20","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T17:50:20","slug":"put-headline-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/2023\/09\/11\/put-headline-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Elders Struggle to Find Support Post Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Estelle Jarrett
\nUConn Journalism 
\nMarch 1, 2023
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Green\u00adwich \u2013 <\/b>Scared on a Sat\u00adur\u00adday night, Arlene Gar\u00adden\u00ader called the Green\u00adwich Police Sta\u00adtion say\u00ading she was alone and could not move from her spot. She did not know how to turn the gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtor on, as the elec\u00adtric\u00adi\u00adty would be out in her area for days at a time.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\/ Photo by Estelle Jarrett<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/02\/P2150789-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-91 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/02\/P2150789-300x225.jpg\" alt width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/02\/P2150789-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/02\/P2150789-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/02\/P2150789-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/02\/P2150789-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/02\/P2150789-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/files\/2023\/02\/P2150789.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">
Car\u00adol Lara sits in her car and rem\u00adi\u00adnisces on a time she could trans\u00adport her\u00adself. \/ Pho\u00adto by Estelle Jarrett<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThey said, \u2018Ma\u2019am, we can\u2019t help if there\u2019s no emer\u00adgency. You know, things like that make you feel incon\u00adve\u00adnient. Incon\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adtial,\u201d shared Gardener.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Gar\u00adden\u00ader is one of many seniors who strug\u00adgled to adjust to the lack of sup\u00adport the pan\u00addem\u00adic lock\u00addowns high\u00adlight\u00aded for the demo\u00adgraph\u00adic. In a 2021 study by Boston Med\u00adical Cen\u00adter, data has shown that low lev\u00adels of senior com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpa\u00adtion have been linked to increased mor\u00adtal\u00adi\u00adty and social iso\u00adla\u00adtion due to the pan\u00addem\u00adic. A society\u2019s pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion won\u2019t age health\u00adily if old folks remain seden\u00adtary in their homes instead of com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adties con\u00adsid\u00ader\u00ading the accom\u00admo\u00adda\u00adtions nec\u00ades\u00adsary to trans\u00adport peo\u00adple to pub\u00adlic spaces.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Green\u00adwich, the pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion is 62,000 with 25 per\u00adcent of the town\u2019s res\u00adi\u00addents being 60 or old\u00ader, accord\u00ading to the 2020 U.S. Cen\u00adsus. This num\u00adber is only ris\u00ading as Baby Boomers enter the age brack\u00adet and munic\u00adi\u00adpal lead\u00aders are left to deal with con\u00addi\u00adtions unfit for the elder\u00adly, which have been neglect\u00aded thus far, accord\u00ading to Tatiana Flow\u00aders of Green\u00adwich Time in Sep\u00adtem\u00adber 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

Car\u00ado\u00adline Lemon, a nurse at Boston Med\u00adical Cen\u00adter, shed light on how the elder\u00adly are at risk of men\u00adtal and phys\u00adi\u00adcal injury if they do not receive the sup\u00adport they need.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn gen\u00ader\u00adal, the peo\u00adple with demen\u00adtia, Alzheimer\u2019s, or who don\u2019t have fam\u00adi\u00adly sup\u00adport will decline faster. This feel\u00ading of neglect is bad for any\u00adone, but the elder\u00adly are also immo\u00adbile,\u201d Lemon said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trans\u00adporta\u00adtion is often inac\u00adces\u00adsi\u00adble or inad\u00ade\u00adquate for dis\u00adabled indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adals, accord\u00ading to the Nation\u00adal Coun\u00adcil on Aging. Avail\u00adable tran\u00adsit becomes cru\u00adcial for those who have lost their abil\u00adi\u00adty to dri\u00adve as they age.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gar\u00adden\u00ader her\u00adself has hip and mem\u00ado\u00adry prob\u00adlems that keep her from trav\u00adel\u00ading and she relies heav\u00adi\u00adly on neigh\u00adbors and com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty agencies. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, they\u2019re like fam\u00adi\u00adly. My daugh\u00adters live so far away, but my neigh\u00adbor\u2019s daugh\u00adters help me so much in self\u00adless ges\u00adtures con\u00adstant\u00adly,\u201d said Gardener.<\/span><\/p>\n

The chang\u00ading fam\u00adi\u00adly dynam\u00adic trends in the U.S. are not to be under\u00ades\u00adti\u00admat\u00aded as nation\u00adal birth rates have plum\u00admet\u00aded. The baby boomer gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion are becom\u00ading seniors and the num\u00adber of adults who nev\u00ader mar\u00adried is at an all-time high, accord\u00ading to the most recent U.S. Cen\u00adsus. This is impor\u00adtant because the lack of social ties with\u00adin a fam\u00adi\u00adly unit means less inter\u00adgen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtional care\u00adgiv\u00ading. All of this leads to a greater reliance on com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty help.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anoth\u00ader demo\u00adgraph\u00adic that suf\u00adfers from not hav\u00ading chil\u00addren to care for them in their old age are those old folks who are part of the LGBTQ+ com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. Accord\u00ading to an orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion that advo\u00adcates for LGBTQ+ elders called SAGE, LGBTQ+ seniors are more com\u00admon\u00adly sin\u00adgle or estranged from their bio\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal fam\u00adi\u00adlies, mak\u00ading their sup\u00adport sys\u00adtem minimized.<\/span><\/p>\n

Such com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty-based care exists in Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. These com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty ser\u00advices include vis\u00adit\u00ading nurs\u00ades, home\u00admak\u00aders, meals on wheels, and respite care. Dur\u00ading the pan\u00addem\u00adic, orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions in town had become more con\u00adnect\u00aded as they need\u00aded to share names and ser\u00advices to get by. <\/span><\/p>\n

Meals on Wheels, Fill\u00ading in the Blanks at Nor\u00adwalk, and Neigh\u00adbor to Neigh\u00adbor are part\u00adnered with each oth\u00ader to pro\u00advide help where it\u2019s need\u00aded. Neigh\u00adbor to Neigh\u00adbor gives fresh fruit to Meals on Wheels, and Meals on Wheels gives food to Fill\u00ading in the Blanks on weekends.<\/span><\/p>\n

At Meals on Wheels of Green\u00adwich, Direc\u00adtor of Oper\u00ada\u00adtions Lynne Stew\u00adart explained that they\u2019d had a 20 per\u00adcent increase in their client base since the pan\u00addem\u00adic and explained that the oper\u00ada\u00adtion had relied heav\u00adi\u00adly on vol\u00adun\u00adteers when old\u00ader dri\u00advers were sus\u00adcep\u00adti\u00adble to the virus. Stew\u00adart described the neces\u00adsi\u00adty for find\u00ading more good-heart\u00aded work\u00aders as the deliv\u00adery relies heav\u00adi\u00adly on social\u00adiza\u00adtion for folks who most like\u00adly live alone, as well as a big chunk of their clients being disabled.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also due to the pan\u00addem\u00adic, dri\u00advers don\u2019t stop to have long chats over a cup of cof\u00adfee like they used to, said Stew\u00adart. Instead, they would call up their clients on the phone to have a friend\u00adly chat. Stew\u00adart acknowl\u00adedges that the major\u00adi\u00adty of their client base are lone\u00adly indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adals who appre\u00adci\u00adate the extra effort. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nowa\u00addays, dri\u00advers still don\u2019t linger with their deliv\u00ader\u00adies, but if dri\u00advers have kids com\u00ading home from col\u00adlege or a new pup\u00adpy, Stew\u00adart encour\u00adages them to bring them along for the ride.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a short inter\u00adac\u00adtion, yes, but that\u2019s more rea\u00adson for our work\u00aders to radi\u00adate kind\u00adness no mat\u00adter what mood our clients are in that day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Clients with demen\u00adtia, mem\u00ado\u00adry prob\u00adlems and hear\u00ading prob\u00adlems are dif\u00adfi\u00adcult, accord\u00ading to Stew\u00adart, since there could be con\u00adfu\u00adsion and com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adtion issues between the Meals on Wheels work\u00ader and the client, but they learn which client has these con\u00addi\u00adtions and adjust accord\u00ading\u00adly. Stew\u00adart is in close com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adca\u00adtion with her dri\u00advers and asks them to report back to her if there seems to be any issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf Mrs. Smith has bruis\u00ades, they chat her up for a minute to see if it\u2019s a 911 sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion. Then I call the grand\u00addaugh\u00adter who lives in Iowa to make sure she is aware that grand\u00adma has a cough or bruis\u00ades. What\u00adev\u00ader it is,\u201d explained Stewart.<\/span><\/p>\n

Towns like Green\u00adwich have a high per\u00adcent\u00adage of folks with\u00adout fam\u00adi\u00adly in the state since, socioe\u00adco\u00adnom\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly, it is too expen\u00adsive for many fam\u00adi\u00adly mem\u00adbers to live in the same places their elders have.<\/span><\/p>\n

For seden\u00adtary elder\u00adly folks, fam\u00adi\u00adly vis\u00adits are the link to the out\u00adside world. Dur\u00ading the pan\u00addem\u00adic, some ser\u00advices and pro\u00adgrams were no longer avail\u00adable, leav\u00ading peo\u00adple like Gar\u00adden\u00ader to rely on 911 and have neigh\u00adbors help with food orders via a gro\u00adcery list. The major\u00adi\u00adty of old\u00ader adults are already at increased risk of stress, anx\u00adi\u00adety, and depres\u00adsion, but this intense dis\u00adcon\u00adnect from the out\u00adside world with\u00adout the means of social\u00adiza\u00adtion is what has grown, accord\u00ading to the Nation\u00adal Insti\u00adtute on Aging.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to go to a senior retire\u00adment cen\u00adter in the area because I do believe I\u2019d age faster. I like being alone, I just don\u2019t like being lone\u00adly,\u201d Gar\u00adden\u00ader explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

This stig\u00adma against retire\u00adment homes is a com\u00admon one, espe\u00adcial\u00adly in afflu\u00adent areas like Green\u00adwich, where folks over 65 can afford the liv\u00ading wages. For Gar\u00adden\u00ader, it would be a big\u00adger com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty, yes, but all she need\u00aded was for some of her fam\u00adi\u00adly mem\u00adbers to care and for her neigh\u00adbors to be recep\u00adtive, and she could get by.<\/span><\/p>\n

Car\u00adol Lara, anoth\u00ader res\u00adi\u00addent in the Green\u00adwich area, lives with her daugh\u00adter, who watch\u00ades atten\u00adtive\u00adly over her 91 year old moth\u00ader. The fam\u00adi\u00adly has set up a baby mon\u00adi\u00adtor in Lara\u2019s liv\u00ading quar\u00adters called iBa\u00adby Mon\u00adi\u00adtor M7. Lara loves her alone time, so this was a way the fam\u00adi\u00adly com\u00adpro\u00admised to make sure they could keep an eye on their matri\u00adarch, who had just been in the hos\u00adpi\u00adtal for many weeks. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe got this advice from one of the many vis\u00adit\u00ading nurs\u00ades that come here to help me. They help my daugh\u00adter Mol\u00adly han\u00addle the respon\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adties of show\u00ader\u00ading me, help\u00ading me go to the bath\u00adroom, and watch\u00ading my soap operas,\u201d said Lara.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gar\u00adden\u00ader does not have the lux\u00adu\u00adry of liv\u00ading with some\u00adone after the pass\u00ading of her hus\u00adband in 2019; how\u00adev\u00ader, she main\u00adtains the idea that she will be alright as long as some\u00adone cares.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to main\u00adtain a sense of humor in every\u00adthing you do. I talk to my cat, you know: \u2018Do you know what hap\u00adpened to me today?\u2019 and I stay sane. At the end of the day, we\u2019re all in the same boat, and the boat is not in great shape.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Estelle Jar\u00adrett UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism  March 1, 2023 Green\u00adwich \u2013 Scared on a Sat\u00adur\u00adday night, Arlene Gar\u00adden\u00ader called the Green\u00adwich Police Sta\u00adtion say\u00ading she was alone and could not move from her spot. She did not know how to turn the gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtor on, as the elec\u00adtric\u00adi\u00adty would be out in her area for days at a time.\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":926,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/926"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":376,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions\/376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/estelle-jarrett-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}