Caring for elderly parents during a pandemic
by Amy Leong | July 7, 2020
As COVID-19 continues to impact our nation and the world, those who have elderly parents face difficult choices: Follow social distancing guidelines and stay away or keep in close contact and risk exposing them to the virus. When Gov. Ige issued the statewide stay-at-home order in late March, I decided to stay at home with my elderly parents and find ways to minimize their risk and exposure along the way.
My parents, who are in their mid-80s with underlying health conditions, have been good about following the orders to stay home, even as more sectors of our economy reopen. They have been keeping themselves busy by watching TV, reading and playing online games — and they’ve been dealing with this pandemic well. I know the new normal will be a challenge for them since doctor visits will now be done through video conferencing, attending church may not be an option for safety reasons, and dining in restaurants may be a rare luxury.
But along the way we’ve experienced many blessings. Working from home allows me to spend more time with my parents, and I’m grateful that I have been able to take care of them. Pre-pandemic, most of my time was spent away from home, in the office and with friends. These days I feel like I get to “do life” with them, and I’m happy to be a part of their lives by simply preparing breakfast or making dinner for them.
My parents’ health and safety guides everything I do these days. Chores that my parents used to do on their own like grocery shopping, are now part of my routine to minimize their risk of contracting COVID-19. I am very fortunate to live near a supermarket which allows me to go grocery shopping when it is less crowded. Although the shopping experience is now a little more tedious with so many safety precautions in place, I still find it enjoyable to see friendly and familiar faces.
The pandemic has unexpectedly brought the community together in different ways. The local community has come together to support and care for one another, and the aloha spirit is shown through good deeds, large and small.
I see aloha in action through different programs helping families with food and necessities. An example is the “Show Aloha Challenge,” which was created with the help of the City & County of Honolulu, individual community members, organizations, nonprofits and restaurants. Hawaiian Electric and the Hawaiian Electric Industries (HEI) Charitable Foundation have contributed $50,000 to the initiative, directly helping local businesses on multiple islands. Through this program, not only are the most vulnerable members of Hawaii being taken care of, local restaurants are also getting much needed funds to help keep them running during the pandemic. The program delivered 7,600 hot meals to homebound kupuna over 10 days. Even my parents were able to enjoy a hot daily lunch from the program.
It may be a challenge living with elderly parents, but it’s not all bad. Even during these trying times, as a family, we continue to enjoy every moment we have with one another. We celebrated my parents’ 57th wedding anniversary COVID-19-style in April with Chinese takeout and a dozen red roses from Safeway. It was one of many memorable events during this pandemic that we’ll never forget!
Amy Leong is a digital communications administrator at Hawaiian Electric Company.
