Rigoberto and Josefina Jiménez, from 90 and 80 years, respectively, have passed more 365 days without being able to hug or kiss their 10 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but they are fortunate to have their daughter Martha by their side, who
“I miss all my children, but I don’t want them to come to my house until they have all been vaccinated,” said Rigoberto, who lives in City Terrace. “I don’t want them to infect us and give us the disease.”
His wife adds: “It hurts the distance of not being able to be with them or having them with us; It hurts not to be able to share the joy that they come to my house, hug them and kiss them. ”
Although they are strong people, both Rigoberto and his wife have already been vaccinated against the covid – 14 and yearn with a certain air of sadness and hope that their children María, Josefina , Angélica, Rigoberto Jr., Gabriel and Martha, and the whole family be inoculated soon and forget about virtual communication forever and get together as a family.
“We have not met, precisely because we love our parents too much and we want to take care of them so they do not get sick ”Said Martha Ofelia Jiménez, while serving her father some nopales with jerky, at their home in City Terrace. “All our celebrations that we have had in a year have been by phone.”
Throughout the pandemic, Martha was in charge of acquiring food for her parents, taking care of them physically, emotionally and spiritually, so that they do not lack anything. They are natives of Nochistlán, Zacatecas.
“Latinos are more affected by the distance from our loved ones because we have more tendency than Anglos to be social, and when those ties are broken it costs us more get over it, ”said Dr. David Hayes Bautista, Professor of Medicine and director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture (CESLAC) at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Anxiety and depression
Although this is not the case of the Jiménezs, seniors are dealing with emotions of sadness and hopelessness, as well as anxiety and depression disorders during the pandemic.
” I attend an average of six cases per week of older adults “, stated Dr. Agustín de Brito, cognitive behavioral and systemic psychologist.
” And although each case is particular, in general terms there is a concern by age and perhaps by the last years of his life and the impossibility of regularly seeing the family, the children and the grandchildren with whom they have strong ties, ”he added.
His colleague, Luis Alejandro Nagy, a certified psychoanalyst from Los Angeles, observed than second-generation Latinos who were born or raised in this country and who have an average of 80 years or more, many of them do not speak English and do not know how or where to seek help.
“Their limitation, in addition to language, is economic, some are undocumented and do not have health insurance, that is They face many barriers, ”Nagy told Real America News.
“ Most of the grandparents that I have attended come with depression and anxiety; Sometimes they come to the clinic, but then the children no longer bring them because they have to pay, and, furthermore, they lose money because they have to go to work and they don’t have time to return ”, he added.
According to the Centers for Disease Prevention Control (CDC), the covid pandemic – 19 has had a major effect on the lives of children and adults, with challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming and cause strong emotions.
And, while public health actions, such as social distancing, are needed to reduce the spread of COVID – 19 , “They can also make us feel isolated and alone, they can increase stress and anxiety; learning to cope with stress in a healthy way will make you, your loved ones and those around you more resilient, ”the CDC indicates.
More than 90 years
Abelardo Delgado is a man born in Chihuahua, Mexico, ago 97 years. Grandpa has managed to survive the pandemic alone, alongside his second wife, Judith Delgado, of 91 years.
“More than my five children, some friends are the ones who brought me food and left it at the door of the house,” he said. “My children don’t even stop around here, they are separated because one is old, they don’t even call me.”
However, Don Abelardo, a native of the Sierra Tarahumara, mentioned that He has no time for sadness or depression.
“Imagine, in February I had only to fix all the paperwork for the death of my sister Beatriz Castillo; she died of 103 years and lived with me for 14 years. Although they say that remembering is living, in this pandemic I do not want to remember anything … what is past, past and what is not useful. Why pick it up? better leave it lying. ”
Where to get help?
According to the CDC, the stress caused by confinement during the pandemic can cause, among other discomforts , feelings fear, anger, sadness, worry, numbness or frustration, changes in appetite, energy, desires and interests, difficulty concentrating and making decisions, as well as difficulty sleeping or nightmares.
If you are feeling emotionally distraught or overwhelmed by COVID news and developments – 19, call the Helpline, seven days a week, at (800) 854 – 7771 or to the National Suicide Prevention Line at (800) 273 – 8255 to get help.