Isolation

The last couple weeks while waiting for tax refunds and retirement benefits, I’ve been on a pinched budget. The one luxury I’ve allowed myself, not knowing when monies would appear, is going to the coffee shop each morning to post to this blog, and receive/answer email. That time was usually limited by battery life, which has diminished over the years. While in my room I do not have access to the internet.

It has made me aware of isolation, and how it can kill the elderly in a few years. Even having internet access could make a tremendous difference, for me, anyway. There is no doubt many elders who have never used it and would not take to it. Thankfully, I’m not one of them. Once monies arrive, that is the initial item on my to-do list.

When involved in mom-care, I had both access to her retirement-living staff, the hospice staff, and a DSL internet connection. Scaling back to none of these is tough. Before, even on days off, I borrowed John’s internet modem, so felt connected to the world.

Other planned involvements include an exercise program, a stringent one needed to quickly regain physical conditioning. That should improve attitude in the same manner that one cannot feel depressed when walking. It should also improve blood pressure, cholesterol, etc., not to mention make me feel good about myself, both for the physical shape and the successful self-discipline. Since this is an alone activity, it may not readily appear connected to isolation, but it very much effects the feeling.

I’ll also explore various course options to determine if there might be some of interest that will get me out of the house and in contact with others. These could include AB Tech, UNCA, and ad hoc study groups available in the community. I still have a desire to learn mathematics that I thought I would do after retiring. Since I am retiring again, I’ll consider it again. Perhaps I could even mentor an adult course of some type; e.g., investing.

Another list of to-do’s includes some dental work and some eye work. Both have been held in abeyance until the monies and Medicare were available. That time has come, it seems. These will provide a boost in self-esteem, which definitely improves the adverse effect of isolation.

With all these newfound advantages, I might even try internet dating, with great hopes of ending isolation. As you can tell, I am determined not to die of isolation, now or later.
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I’ll also be thinking of what I might do to reduce isolation in other seniors. Perhaps mentoring them in internet contact.