In the early morning yesterday (March 8), 79-year-old Granny Leung was found to have committed suicide by hanging herself in the women's toilet of Kwai Lian Village Park. It was reported that she suffered from pain and dementia. She underwent a rapid antigen test a few days ago (March 6). After the test was positive, I suspected that I was unhappy and had suicidal thoughts.
The elderly have low physical resistance and are undoubtedly the most vulnerable group under the epidemic. In addition, their ability to receive information and digest information is relatively limited, and they need to be cared for by their families and society. When the epidemic heats up, collective anxiety in the society will inevitably amplify the elderly. Negative thoughts, we need to pay more attention to their emotional health, and don't let them become a group of isolated people who think they have been abandoned!
In the early morning of March 8, when a police officer was patrolling a park in Kwai Luen Village, Kwai Luen Road, Kwai Chung, they found an elderly woman hanging by a cotton rope in the women's toilet in the park.
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Elderly helpless or worried
Grandma Liang unfortunately committed suicide, which undoubtedly sounded the alarm for the society.
As the fifth wave of the epidemic continues to be severe, the livelihoods of many citizens have been severely affected. In addition, the daily high number of confirmed cases and the fluctuating epidemic prevention measures will inevitably make them feel helpless once the number of infections is low. The home isolation guidelines are not clear enough, and the government has specially set The hotline is unanswered, and the platform for rapid test positive declaration has been delayed for a long time... All these have pushed the public's emotions to the brink of collapse, not to mention the elderly who belong to the high-risk group - who have chronic diseases and dare not get vaccinated. Vaccines, I don’t know how to go online and don’t know how to ask for help. The new crown virus that has endangered my feet will inevitably make me more anxious, and I need more support from the society and family.
Hong Kong clinical psychologist Liang Chongmin told the "Hong Kong 01" reporter that the uncertainties of the epidemic aroused the already fragile nerves of the elderly.
On the one hand, if the elderly suffer from long-term diseases such as dementia, they are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and other emotional distress, and the infection will undoubtedly be a "big deal"; on the other hand, their hearing and eyesight have been weakened , It is not convenient to call for help, the ability to take care of yourself is limited, and I am afraid of infecting my family, and I am even more helpless in the face of the epidemic, which inevitably leads to various negative emotions, "I don't know how to help myself, I feel that I am about to die, and I need others. Taking care of yourself, you are shocked that you are a “burden” for your children. Sometimes the elderly have this kind of thinking, they have a lot of worries, and they feel that they are worthless.”
Hong Kong clinical psychologist Liang Chongmin told the "Hong Kong 01" reporter that the uncertainties of the epidemic aroused the already fragile nerves of the elderly, and contracting the epidemic is undoubtedly "a hundred and more pounds".
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'Social isolation' deepens negative emotions
In fact, prior to the pandemic, the elderly were already facing an increasingly serious problem of "social isolation" - a lack of contact with family, friends or others, which not only creates a sense of loneliness but also poses a serious public health risk.
The Data Research Unit of the Legislative Council Secretariat recently (March 3) published a document titled "Measures to Handle Social Isolation of the Elderly", which quoted data from the World Health Organization and pointed out that elderly "socially isolated" are at higher risk of heart disease and stroke than the average elderly. 29% and 32% higher, and a higher rate of later-life depression and suicidal behavior; the new crown epidemic has been delayed for two years, and social isolation of the elderly is more common. For example, 438 elderly suicide cases were recorded in 2020, which was in 1973. highest number ever.
However, Liang Chongmin reminded that emotional distress is not necessarily the same as suicide.
Measuring individual suicide risk involves many factors, such as physical condition, family relationship, elderly living alone, mental illness, pessimistic or positive personality, etc., which will affect their ability to fight the epidemic and relieve their emotions.
Facing the epidemic positively, it is even more necessary to take the initiative to care for others, especially the elderly at home.
(Photo by Li Zetong)
Caring for the elderly on a daily basis
Leung Chung-min pointed out that the key to actively combating emotional distress lies in the establishment of a "sense of control". Maintaining a daily state, establishing good habits, and exercising moderately at home all make the elderly have certain expectations about life and know what they will do.
If the elderly have family members living with them, they should have their blood pressure, body temperature, etc. taken every day, so that the elderly can be more aware of their physical condition, and be able to detect discomfort early, so that they have a greater sense of "control".
If the elderly live alone, the way to alleviate the loneliness of the elderly is inseparable from the care and support of the family.
Liang Chongmin suggested, "Families can set a time every day to communicate with the elders, so that they can have certain expectations about life, which can alleviate the loneliness of the elders to a certain extent." He reminded that when the elders face emotional distress, they may not Express your emotions directly, "Don't say unhappy, want to kill yourself. But you can observe that their appetite is getting worse, they don't take medicine, they ignore themselves. These signs suggest that the elderly may have emotional distress. If so, it should be as soon as possible. Attend a doctor."
