During this pandemic, we have all had to adapt. For those who are taking strict precautions, that might mean isolation or limited social interactions.
While there are a lot of people trying to tackle the obstacles of the pandemic alone, there is a new trend among older age groups being referred to as bubbles or pods.
Older adults in all kinds of circumstances, those living alone and those who are partnered, those in good health and those who are not, are similarly deliberating what to do as days and nights turn chilly and coronavirus cases rise across the country.
Some groups of close-knit older groups of friends and family are forming “bubbles” or “pods."
They are small groups that agree on pandemic precautions and will see one another in person.
Everyone in this social group basically signs the unwritten contract to be as safe as possible, that way everyone is presumptively safe from the virus.
Medical professionals recommend that older adults in this situation reach out to others with similar interests, people they may have met at church or in book clubs or art classes, and try to form a group or a pod.
Similarly, they recommend that families or friends invite a single older friend into their pods or bubbles.
There are clear-cut medical risks of COVID-19, but isolation can cause sociological and psychological effects as well.
These pods may be even more popular in the upcoming months because of Thanksgiving and the holidays.
No one wants to spend the holidays alone, but you do need to be safe.
As always, public health experts advise that thorough and frequent hand-washing, wearing masks in public, meeting in small groups and maintaining at least six feet of social distancing can help prevent the transmission of the coronavirus.