May 14, 2020 – For scores of seniors who live at home alone, the coronavirus pandemic has given rise to a number of serious questions about the inherent risks of being on their own. Questions like: What happens if I catch the virus? Who will take care of me if I get sick? And…Should I be living someplace safer right now?
Before the pandemic, families frequently dropped in to check up on elderly loved ones. Now, even if relatives are just across town, they are often busy home-schooling their own children, working from home or locked down themselves. Out-of-state relatives cannot jump on a plane and be there if they are needed. With seniors being identified as the population most at risk for contracting the virus, family members often choose not to make unnecessary home visits to elderly relatives to prevent any possibility of exposure. Instead, seniors are relying on deliveries of basic provisions at home or putting themselves at greater risk by visiting grocery stores and pharmacies on their own.
For seniors who have never been afraid to live alone before, the new risks associated with COVID-19 have them worried about being more isolated and their safety. Even senior couples who are at home alone together right now
run the risk of picking up the virus and bringing it home to a spouse with each trip out of the house. Caretaking under the “new normal” of pandemic circumstances has become difficult for many as the isolation sets in. As a result, many seniors are turning to assisted living as a safer option. Retirement communities offer an insulated environment with significant virus protections already in place, like controlled visitor access, daily temperature
monitoring, and the added peace of mind of having professional caregivers watching over residents.
Silvergate Rancho Bernardo, the newest luxury senior living community in the area, recognizes the challenges faced by seniors living alone at home. As the community gears up to open its doors in early July 2020, Silvergate’s
management team will roll out extensive measures to ensure the health and wellbeing of its incoming residents – safety protocols that most seniors would find difficult to undertake at home on their own.
“I’m really ready for Silvergate” said Richard Matheron, a career foreign service officer who was at one time the Ambassador to Eswatini, the African nation formerly known as Swahiland. Matheron, who retired years ago, originally decided to move to Silvergate simply for the social aspect of being in a community. Now, with social distancing in effect, he says he can’t wait to get to Silvergate to make new friends. “I’m missing people right now and I’m confident I’ll be as safe at Silvergate as I am in this house…probably more so…because everything is so well planned and executed. They solve problems for me…like the safety measures associated with this pandemic…before I even have to worry about it. They always think everything through.”
“We understand the uncertainty and fear seniors can feel when they are home alone, especially right now,” said Sondra Brakeville, Executive Director of Silvergate Rancho Bernardo. “Most seniors need interaction with othersand caregivers to maintain their health and feel better from day to day. If you are at home struggling behind closed doors, we invite you to call us for advice or to talk about your situation. By reaching out to us from home, we can lift that burden of concern off of seniors and help bring normalcy and peace of mind back into their lives right now.”
For those who are nervous about living alone, now may be exactly the right time to learn more about Silvergate Rancho Bernardo, which offers independent living, assisted living and memory care in a luxury, resort-style
senior living community that features studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and cottage accommodations. To take a Virtual Tour or learn about availability, call Pam Rundle, at (858) 683-9938 or visit www.Silvergaterr.com
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