Amy Ward, Haruka Nakajima, Katrina Briggs, Thrall Hershberger, Colt Martinson, Kevin Payne, Cindy Herrera
Problem Identification
Isolation and mental health has been a concern in the older generations as things in the world are changing. There has been a more significant decline in senior mental health due to COVID-19. With the pandemic at hand, isolation has become mandatory for senior citizens that live in nursing homes and the social isolation may last the longest for them. A study done in China found that, “37.1% of the elderly had experienced depression and anxiety during the pandemic, and the emotional response of the elderly aged above 60 years was more apparent than other age groups” (Lee et al., 2020). Making sure that attention is brought to the issue at hand and taking the proper precautions to help prevent a decrease in depression and anxiety is very important for their quality of life. Interactions that are personal but distant are what is needed to not only keep the elderly happy but also safe.
Problem Analysis
Depression and anxiety in elderly people spiked when the pandemic began. Older generations are often forgotten about by society and this is leading to not only physical health concerns but also mental health concerns. Seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic, are encouraged to stay in their rooms, avoid common areas, and have limited or no visitation even from immediate family. Family and friends cannot comfort them by stopping by, giving them gifts, and providing human interaction.
Solution Criteria
The Small Wins group project solution criteria are that it must be the achievement of a goal or task consistent with the definition of a group from our text. “A group is a human communication system composed of three or more individuals, interacting for the achievement of some common goal(s), who influence and are influenced by each other” (Rothwell, 2019). The goal for this project must include a community service component. Our group narrowed down the community being served as senior citizens in local care facilities. The project must have an actionable activity that is conducted by the members. Our activity was writing and distributing cards to seniors who were in need of connection and encouragement due to a lack of socialization during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Solution suggestion
As a group, we brainstormed many ideas that could be implemented to address the increase in senior depression due to the ongoing pandemic. Our brainstorm included writing letters, visiting and talking to seniors, spending time on video calls, and calling to chat with them. We also talked about making masks or other tangible gifts that we could deliver to seniors. We discussed the needs of group homes, senior centers, retirement homes, hospital rehabilitation centers, and individuals. We came up with a surplus of ideas, ultimately leading us to discuss what sort of solution we are aiming to provide and to whom.
Solution Selection
As a group, we discussed many ideas like making masks and delivering, spending time talking , etc. However, since we are in pandemic, we were not able to gather with seniors. There are some restrictions preventing that at almost all senior care facilities. Therefore, we decided the best way to bring joy and hope to seniors suffering from an increase in mental illness was by delivering letters to seniors.
Solution Implementation
After a few days of discussion, we produced the idea to distribute a stack of meaningful cards to three different nursing homes. Elderly were the main focus. It states in an informational article that “particularly, the mental and physical health of the elderly aged above 60 and classified as high-risk groups is more vulnerable than other age groups, requiring more attention” (Lee et al., 2020). Our group divided among two people per group, and each wrote a stack of 10 cards per person. A total of 20 cards per group were dispersed among three different locations. The locations were Ruthaven, Aegis Living in Kent, and Linden Grove Health Care Center. We wanted to create an atmosphere where those who were in such a sad spot were able to lighten and feel happy because, in the end, our goal was to support those in need to make everyone feel loved and appreciated.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, as we know elderly already suffer from loneliness and mental health issues. The pandemic has restricted elderly from having family and friends visit them in the past year, causing them to go into a state of anxiety and depression. Our contribution to writing letters impacted us as people and the elderly with positive feedback from them. Our project accomplished our goals of bringing positivity and spreading love to the elderly. We received very positive feedback from the residents indicating how much they enjoyed the kind notes and gestures. Messages received from Ruthaven; “Mom actually read me the cards from the boys; we are both so impressed with their thoughtful greetings. Thank you again.” Another wrote, “Mom wanted me to give you a big thank you! She was so touched! She wanted to thank Kevin and TJ. It was such a kind gesture.” Working as a group was a positive outlook, being open-minded when sharing our letters and coming together to make a kind gesture for the good of our community.
References
Rothwell, J.D. (2019). Situational perspective: Matching styles with circumstances. Chapter 6: Group Leadership [pp 140-142]. In mixed company: Communicating in small groups and teams. Oxford University Press.
Lee, K., Jeong, G., & Yim, J. (2020). Consideration of the psychological and mental health of the elderly during COVID-19: A theoretical review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21) doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218098