Summary
The drop in the levels of physical and social activity that the coronavirus pandemic has entailed is likely to produce a range of adverse effects on the aging population, according to a recent article by Paula Span (2022). Due to the challenges of being hospitalized and having reduced mobility, aging people are likely to suffer additional adverse health outcomes. Moreover, the fact that multiple facilities providing exercises for the elderly have been closed leaves the target population with a very limited choice.
Statement 1 (Affirmative)
The reduced number of opportunities for physical exercises will make aging people more vulnerable to an array of diseases and disorders, ranging from COVID-19 to musculoskeletal issues. Thus, extra options for increasing physical performance for the elderly must be sought. Thus, the problem at hand can be considered a serious health threat to the target population.
Statement 2 (Negative)
Although most facilities offering physical activity opportunities for aging people have been closed, the specified demographic can still keep fit by exercising at home. Moreover, patient-specific programs that can be designed for aging people individually by nurses via online communication will be significantly more helpful in addressing aging people’s unique concerns. Therefore, the problem of reduced physical activity can be addressed easily.
Rebuttal
Though isolation causes loneliness in many cases, especially among the elderly, being physically isolated does not predicate loneliness due to the opportunity to connect to others via digital tools, as the article by Tingley (2021) suggests. Furthermore, there is the necessity to differentiate between isolation and loneliness becomes particularly evident when observing the tendency among the elderly to feel lonely due to being isolated from their friends and family members (Kasar & Karaman, 2021). In other words, while the two concepts are not equivalent, the former predetermines the latter.
References
Kasar, K. S., & Karaman, E. (2021). Life in lockdown: social isolation, loneliness and quality of life in the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.Geriatric Nursing, 42(5), 1222-1229.
Span, P. (2022). The pandemic has made many seniors less active. New York Times.
Tingley, K. (2021). We need to understand the difference between isolation and loneliness.New York Times.