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Rostock (dpa / mv) - In the course of the extensive vaccination of old people's and nursing homes, their operators should urgently promote the mental and physical mobilization of the residents from the perspective of experts.
In the past few months, the seniors often had to lead a life in isolation, said the geriatrician and senior physician at the Südstadtklinikum Rostock, Kristin Zimmermann, of the dpa.
A common symptom of isolation is that people who were previously ill and had comparatively few social contacts fell into depression.
According to the State Statistical Office, there are around 25,000 nursing home places in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Retirement and nursing homes are considered hotspots for the corona pandemic; according to the RKI, around 90 percent of those who died in connection with corona were 70 years and older across Germany.
It is regrettable that there are hardly any current studies on the problem of the isolation of seniors in the pandemic and the consequences, said Zimmermann.
As early as 2018, psychologists at the University of Frankfurt identified a “blatant treatment deficit” among depressed people in retirement homes.
They reckoned that 25 to 45 percent of those aged over 65 in nursing homes would be depressed.
However, only 40 percent of them would get a diagnosis at all, and a maximum of half of these would receive adequate treatment.
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As Zimmermann further said, the operators of the facilities should organize meetings or excursions outdoors.
Physiotherapy and occupational therapy were also among the items on the program that partially came to a standstill as part of the lockdown.
Loneliness is a risk factor for old age depression, that is the same in society as a whole and not limited to homes, said Zimmermann.
The problem is exacerbated if relatives are not allowed to visit the home or if it is clearly advised not to visit in order to rule out infection.
For many residents it is particularly bad if the important visit to the grave of deceased relatives is refused.
Then it happens again and again that old people lose their courage to live in this loneliness, refuse to eat and drink and die.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210226-99-600793 / 2
Geriatrics Südstadtklinikum