[W Forum] COVID-19 and Elderly Certifications

Last year, our country, indeed the entire world, suffered from the plague called COVID-19. No, since it is still raging fiercely, it would be more accurate to say we are still suffering.

Among the hospitalized patients were elderly grandmothers and grandfathers in their late 80s. Around the same time, they underwent colectomy and had colostomies, then were transferred from surgery to internal medicine. Both were teachers who had taught students at school and were intellectuals with high self-esteem. The hospitalization itself was not problematic. However, the 24-hour hospital room life, completely cut off from family visits due to COVID-19 restrictions, made it difficult for isolated elderly patients to adapt.

Grandfather A had a good marital relationship, and his children took turns diligently caring for him. After his symptoms somewhat improved, the conversations during rounds with Grandfather A mostly revolved around food and sleep. Since he could not eat normally, his desire to eat freely caused various foods to appear in his dreams. Every time he spoke, his face was always contorted, reflecting the distress caused by unmet desires.

Feeling sorry, I asked if there was anything else he wanted to do, or if he disliked TV, how about radio or music, but he said he disliked all of them. After coaxing, comforting, and discussing, we barely set new goals: sitting upright, standing, and trying to take steps. For an elderly person in their late 80s who had been lying in bed for three months, these were very important goals. As expected, once he made up his mind, he showed tremendous mental strength and was able to sit, stand, and take a few steps within two days. Long live the analog grandfather’s human victory! With the full support of his family, he is likely to maintain a relatively independent life for some time after discharge.

Grandmother B had lost her husband 10 years ago and lived alone. With a beautiful voice and lovely eyes, Grandmother B could read newspapers without a magnifying glass and had good hearing, so there was no need to raise her voice to converse. Surprisingly, she was quite adept at using a tablet PC for KakaoTalk and video calls. About a week after meeting me, one morning during rounds, she lowered her voice with a shy smile and whispered, “Actually, I was ready to follow my husband soon, but now I feel like living for about one more year.” As a doctor, I was overjoyed to see her regain the will to live. Even alone in her hospital room, Grandmother B never had a dull moment, listening to music, watching YouTube or movies.

Watching her, I realized that the exceptional digital adaptability of elderly people approaching 90 can fulfill not only communication needs with family but also cultural desires to a significant extent. Now that non-face-to-face interactions have become the norm due to the COVID-19 crisis, digital adaptability is essential not just for simple desire fulfillment but for survival itself in disaster situations for elderly people living alone. One example is a heartwarming story where an elderly person was rescued by the 119 emergency team after reporting through an AI speaker.

As the number of elderly people living alone increases, digital adaptability may become essential for them. Elderly people need education on digital devices and AI utilization, and our society must prepare countermeasures for this.

It was believed that aging happens naturally as one grows older. In the post-COVID society, I wonder if elderly people might need a digital adaptability assessment “elderly certification” to live with dignity. As someone who is not good with machines, I am quietly nervous, wondering if I will have to take another (certification) exam in my old age soon.

Baek Hyun-wook, Director of the Biomedical Research Center, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Bundang Jesaeng Hospital