Covid-19: Advice for seniors

Many senior citizens will be concerned and need advice on how to stay safe during the COVID-19 outbreak.  Please note: this is the most updated available advice as of Tuesday 17 March 2020.

The Government has asked everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and non-essential travel.

Those who can should start working from home, and we should all avoid meeting in social spaces such as pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres. These measures are called social distancing.

The Government has produced guidance to help you understand what you should and shouldn’t do, and to answer common questions such as how to access food and medication. 

People aged over 70, pregnant people, and people with underlying health conditions are being asked to stay at home and avoid unnecessary, close contact with other people for up to 12 weeks from 21-22 March. 

You will still be able to go outside to exercise, or just to get some fresh air, and to go to the shops for essential items – provided you don’t have any symptoms. But you will need to avoid coming into close contact with other people so you might want to go places during quieter times for example early in the morning or in the evening. The advice is also to avoid gatherings with friends and family and to use the phone or internet instead.  ​

These measures are important to shield the most vulnerable from the disease. The Government has published some advice to help you to prepare which you can access here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#things-to-help-you-prepare-now 

This webpage has information from Age UK about the symptoms of coronavirus and the steps to take to stop it spreading: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/conditions-illnesses/coronavirus/

These websites are likely to be updated as the advice changes, I would recommend checking them regularly.