Jane Collins “loves getting outside and that has been wonderful,” says daughter Laura. “Her mood immediately shifts when she gets out of the building.” (Laura Collins)

by Judith Graham

“Alice Herb, 88, an intrepid New Yorker, is used to walking miles around Manhattan. But after this year of being shut inside, trying to avoid covid-19, she’s noticed a big difference in how she feels.

“’Physically, I’m out of shape,’ she told me. ‘The other day I took the subway for the first time, and I was out of breath climbing two flights of stairs to the street. That’s just not me.’

“Emotionally, Herb, a retired lawyer and journalist, is unusually hesitant about resuming activities even though she’s fully vaccinated. ‘You wonder: What if something happens? Maybe I shouldn’t be doing that. Maybe that’s dangerous,’  she said.

“Millions of older Americans are similarly struggling with physical, emotional and cognitive challenges following a year of being cooped up inside, stopping usual activities and seeing few, if any, people.

“If they don’t address issues that have arisen during the pandemic — muscle weakness, poor nutrition, disrupted sleep, anxiety, social isolation and more — these older adults face the prospect of poorer health and increased frailty, experts warn.”

Continue reading this article at Kaiser Health Network, click here.