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One person remembers the polio epidemic and the hardships of World War II. One is stoic about it all because, he said, he’s already “here past [his] welcome.” A third, old enough to remember the aftermath of the 1918 flu epidemic, turns to her faith in challenging times.

For older Americans, some of the people most likely to be negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic, these unusual days and the social distancing that they bring are rippling out in varied and nuanced ways.

Easter Brown, 77, works with a Washington, D.C., group that provides groceries, medicine and other services to older inner-city residents. But it’s pollen season, and she has asthma, making her more vulnerable to coronavirus. 

So, on doctor’s orders, she has stopped making deliveries. She has also stopped walking outside for exercise and instead strolls her apartment building’s hallways for 35 minutes each day. 

Her daughter and grandson live in the building, so she doesn’t feel isolated. Crossword puzzles, studying the Bible, cooking and watching TV keep her busy.

Brown takes the small changes in her lifestyle in stride, and is still going strong — at least, “that’s what everybody says,” Brown said with a laugh. “As long as I stay in here, I don’t worry about catching it,” she said.

Reminded of rationing

Many older Americans say they’ve seen hard times before. “This kind of thing is not new for us older people,” said Mimi Allison, the former director of the National Museum of Dance, who turned 90 recently. 

She lives with one of her daughters and a teenage grandson in Asheville, North Carolina, and said the main inconvenience of social distancing is not getting to celebrate her birthday with other family members, including her two great-grandchildren.

“I think we’re not as stressed as some of the younger people,” Allison said. “We know that we’re all going to come out of it. Well, some of us won’t, but most of us will, and we’re all going to be better off for it.”

Allison said she’s reminded of the rationing in World War II and the polio epidemic that sickened her brother in the 1940s, when swimming pools and movie theaters were closed and families kept children close to avoid that virus. So far, she said, it’s not all that different from growing up in Buffalo, New York, when blizzards often brought life to a halt.

Staying connected 

The key is to maintain some kind of connection, said the Rev. Michael Pfleger, 70, a charismatic Chicago priest who normally feeds off the energy of parishioners but now faces empty pews. His parish in a struggling South Side neighborhood includes many adults his age and older who are sequestered in their homes.

He has turned to live-streaming mass on Sundays. Instead of handshakes and embraces, he’s urging phone calls, especially for seniors without internet access or smartphones.

“It’s so important to stay connected right now because what depression does with people is have them turn into themselves and close their world,” Pfleger said.

Mental health experts agree. Almost one in three older adults live alone, and many have chronic health problems. Those factors make them vulnerable to loneliness and depression; suicide rates among those aged 75 and older are among the highest in the nation.

For those accustomed to being more active, being confined to home and reliant on others for groceries and basic needs can be disempowering. Family members can help by talking about health risks and the need for social distancing.

Some have seen it all

Helen Anstead, 106, isn’t fazed by the COVID-19 pandemic because, she said, she has pretty much seen it all. Anstead was 5 when influenza swept the planet in 1918. “I just felt the fear that the elders had when they talked about it,” she said.

The retired teacher lives by herself on a farm in rural northeast Michigan where her son raises beef cattle. COVID-19 hasn’t reached her county yet. 

Anstead mostly stays indoors, pays attention to the news but doesn’t worry about getting sick. Raised in a church-going family, she said she relies on her faith and watches mass on TV every day. “When you’re isolated, you reach for spiritual help,” she said, “and it works for me.”

In New Hampshire, Pete Thomas lives by himself. “At 88, I am sort of here past the welcome, as the saying goes,” Thomas said. “It will be what it is, and you deal with it as you will. I see no point in getting myself concerned about something I have no control over.” 

   —AP