It’s been known that there are certain groups of people that are at a higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19. These are the poeple with chronic health conditions as well as the elderly people.

So, if you have an elderly parent, what does this mean for you? What does the COVID-19 pandemic mean for them?

Perhaps, you may have stubborn parents who would still want to go out. Perhaps they found observing social distancing and self-quarantine measures troublesome. How do you convince them?

Here’s what you can do to help them understand the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assess their knowledge and disposition

Ask them what they feel about the pandemic. Assess what they know and see if these are credible information they are getting and talking about. Learn about their own preparations or how they are protecting themselves from the spread of COVID-19.

Doing this can also help you start a more engaging conversation about the coronavirus situation in your area and in the world. If you don’t live with your elderly parents, for example, you may talk to them on the phone and make arrangements to bring whatever they may need by yourself or through delivery.

Bring in “trusted messengers”

Your elderly parents may not easily believe you. Therefore, what you can do is to talk to friends or other family members who they may listen to. You may also make them watch news outlets, or highlight news articles for them to see what the important messages are at this time.

You may also have them talk to their trusted doctors through a phone call or even video conference so that they would heed their advice.

Your Tone Matters

Avoid pressuring or badgering your elderly parents or family members to follow you. You can’t force them to take certain courses of action if they don’t understand the situation. Your tone matters too. Eventually, badgering or forcing them can create tension that you don’t need at this time.

However, if they still won’t listen, respect their decision to avoid damaging your relationship. Keep the space open for future conversations and be there to help support and keep them safe instead.