Mar 20, 2021 4 min read

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Experts say some older people have put off medical appointments during the pandemic.

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Experts say the lack of in-person interaction this past year has been difficult for many older adults.

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Dr. Anita Chandra, a geriatrician at Allegheny Health Network, said she has seen more depression among her patients over the past year.

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The effort to prevent transmission of COVID-19 may be having unintended consequences on older adults – including their health and mental well-being.

As public health officials urged people to stay home, seniors ended up staying away from friends, family and activities they enjoyed.

As a result, seniors are experiencing increasing rates of loneliness and isolation during the pandemic.

Dr. Anita Chandra, a geriatrician at Allegheny Health Network, has seen more depression among her patients.

“Everyone I meet has said there have been changes to their social activities, who they see on a regular basis. They used to have lunches with their friends, or go to the senior center to play bingo before the pandemic. It’s been one whole year of complete change in their social interaction, and it’s still going on, and that’s been tough for them.”

Loneliness and isolation can cause a profound impact on the mental and physical health of older adults. Studies have linked loneliness to anxiety and depression, as well as health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

“It’s been hard to see the mental and physical declines and problems that come from them not seeing loved ones,” said Chandra.

And even though seniors have been encouraged throughout the pandemic to keep up with regular doctor appointments and seek medical attention if it’s required, they have been putting those appointments off.

Chandra has seen patients who would have sought medical treatment earlier on before the pandemic coming to the hospital much sicker.

Tina Raber, site supervisor for Waynesburg Community Center, said she delayed her routine mammogram and was recently diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.

She is currently undergoing treatment.

“I put it off because of COVID-19,” said Raber. “But I told doctors, I’m not ready to go yet, I have a lot of people down here depending on me and I don’t plan on the good Lord taking me.”

Chandra said telemedicine appointments – which have had multiple benefits during the pandemic – have presented some challenges to the older population, who sometimes rely on family members to help them with technology but have been unable to see them, or don’t want to bother them.

With gymnasiums closed for stretches during the pandemic, seniors’ physical fitness, too, has been impacted.

“Almost everybody I’ve been able to see hasn’t been able to stay physically health, especially living in Southwestern Pennsylvania during this winter. I see an increase in people who fall, and people who are not in as good physical shape as they were a year ago,” said Chandra, noting that patients who usually would go to a rehab center following a fall or other injury have opted not to.

For patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, the pandemic has taken a toll.

“I’ve seen a sharp decline in cognitive function in my patients who I see for dementia. I get calls from caregivers who say, ‘My loved one has declined significantly in the past two months,'” said Chandra. “They’re not seeing the people they love or participating in activities that brought them joy, and they’re unable to keep up with their mental and physical health.”

Chandra also acknowledged the stress caregivers have experienced this year, too.

She is hopeful, though, that better days are not far off.

“I feel like we’re really close, with vaccines available, I’m hopeful things will look very different a few months from now. We have to stay on track. I’m telling my patients this isn’t the time to let our guard down. It’s time to make our bucket lists of what we want to do. It’s coming.”