One thing everyone agrees on about the COVID-19 pandemic?

Keeping the elderly and almost-elderly safe should be priority #1.

Evidence from all over the world shows they’re at the highest risk of contracting a serious case of this virus. Indeed, they’re at the highest risk of dying from it. China CDC reported that nearly 15% of patients ages 80 or older with COVID-19 died from the disease.

True, convincing your parents or grandparents to take COVID-19 seriously may not be easy. But if you’ve managed to get them to listen, here’s some tips about what your loved ones can do to be safer:

If you live with a grandparent, take extreme precautions

This may mean isolating grandparents from other members of the household, including limiting them to one section of the home as much as possible, and ensuring that they have their own bathroom. Everyone in the house should self-quarantine as much as possible, going out only for essentials such as groceries or urgent medical appointments. Anytime a parent thinks they need to go out on an errand, they should ask themselves if they really need to do this, or if they can stay at home to prevent being potentially exposed to the Coronavirus.

If grandparents are watching your kids so you can work, make sure you set specific guidelines. We are advising our geriatric patients to keep their distance from their grandchildren every day.

Call a home health agency

A trained nurse or caretaker will be able to ensure that your parents or grandparents are given the best possible care during this time, while keeping them safe from exposure to the virus.

Avatar Home Health is keeping up-to-date with the developments relating to the continued spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) across the US. We are routinely monitoring developments, reviewing our protocols, and preparing appropriate responses as the situation evolves. We are committed to ensuring all steps are taken to protect the health and well-being of all our staff and clients.

Keep your children away

The C.D.C. has very specific guidelines for older adults, which includes avoiding crowds and nonessential travel, keeping a good distance from others and, if the Coronavirus is spreading within your community, staying home as much as possible. While grandparents may need their children to help run errands like grocery shopping or picking up medications, resist bringing young kids into their house, even for a brief moment.

Both grandparents and grandchildren may be upset and not completely understand why they can’t see each other. If the resistance is coming from grandparents, gently explain that if they catch the virus, they could become critically ill and even die, which would be devastating.

Explain to them that just as they’ve taken steps in the past to keep their grandchildren safe, we’re now doing this for them, too,” she said. “It may be difficult for them emotionally in the short term, but it’s an investment in both grandparents and grandchildren having a future together.

Swap in-person interactions with video chats, if you can

Even if you can’t physically spend time with your parents or grandparents, frequent — even daily — FaceTime or Skype chats are a good idea. We know that social interaction is important for everyone, especially older adults who may be isolated right now alone in their home. It may also be reassuring and calming to see familiar faces every day, even if they’re on video.