Question

Question-Discuss the personal toll of social distancing and isolation on those ill and their families.

Answer 1

Answer:

The Personal toll social distancing and isolation has on the ill person/family members is seperately discussed below.

Introduction:

Social distancing mandates that the ill person must stay at a distance from the other persons in his family/ surroundings and isolation means a person must stay alone. This is a particularly important in infectious diseases as the the chances of the person spreading the disease to his family/social contacts is more in case of increased physical proximity/ contact and it decreases If the norms of social distancing and isolation are followed.

The toll on the ill person:

Man is a social animal and his well-being is nurtured by the warmth and bonding that is generated by the meaningful interactions between him and his immediate family/friends/neighbours and thesociety. The . applying of the  rules of social distancing and isolation in case of sickness creates a social cut off for the ill person and has the following toll/negative impacts.

Physical impact :

The absence of human interaction and atmosphere of absence of the stimulus for the ill person makes him feel unmotivated,lethargic and lonely. The physical restriction of movement , unable to go to gyms or walks  affects the mobility,exercise status, physical health and well being on account of confinement that gets imposed on the person .

Physiological impact:

Social distancing and isolation affects the physiological needs of the dependent adults/ older adults ,mentally ill/ disabled adults and children who are dependent on others for their care

People with chronic diseases like diabetes,heart disease,stroke, Alzheimer's disease mental illnesses and other disability states who are dependent on family members or the support workers for their care and activities of daily living bear the brunt of social distancing and isolation norms in the periods of illnesses. They may not be able to get the required quality, attention ,continuum of care which is required for them to maintain their good health. This may lead to worsening of their disease conditions and poor health on account of their inability to meet their own physical and physiological needs independently.

Financial impact:

A person may lose his/her job or working days/wages on account of the social distancing and isolation and this may affect him/her financially especially in the case of low socioeconomic groups who are manual labourers or daily wagers and are dependant for their daily work which provide them the living.

Psychological and mental impact:

The feeling of responsibility exists in an ill person who is following the social distancing and isolation norms towards the safety of his family and others around him, This motivates him to follow these norms with sincerity. However it is accompanied with strong feelings of social alienation and mental stress. The mental health and the psychological well being of the ill person deteriorate on account of being able unable to interact with others.There may be depression, severe stress response,anxiety reactions,low self esteem,lack of confidence and depressive behavioural disorders.

Increased suicidal tendencies may occur in those pre disposed to them on account of worsening depression due to the loneliness.

Substance abuse effects: There is an increase observed in the substance abuse by those in isolation such excessive alcohol drinking, excess smoking, use of drugs or sedatives due to the stressful effects of isolation.

The toll social distance and isolation has on the family of the ill person is discussed below:

Introduction: Complex physiological,psychological,financial and physical effects result from the isolation of of an ill person on account of the complexity of interactions between the family members and their interdependence on each other for their needs,.The family ecosystem gets disturbed and disequilibrium state exists as long as the isolation and social distancing norms for the ill person continues.

Physical impacts: The family members may face physical exertion and exhaustion on account of the responsibilities that come on them to provide for the care of the ill person in isolation This may be like providing food for the sick person,arranging medications,arranging for ambulance for the hospital trips or arranging for the sanitization measures and so on.

The family members may also face space constraints on account of their providing for the isolation facility for the sick member. This is especially true in case of people living in overcrowded ,small houses in closed clusters where providing room/facilty for isolation takes a toll on the other members of the family.

Psychological impacts: Feeling of stress,fear,anxiety exists in the family members who have an ill family member in isolation. The family may fear the spread of infection to them and others in the family ,They may also be anxious about losing their loved one account of worsening of the illness or facing any sudden health emergency from the ill person at home.

Fear of social stigmatization /social rejection may exist depending on the social environmental conditions of the family.

Relationship impacts:

A strain develops  on the personal relationships of people living in close quarters dependent on each other for their personal needs in such trying situations. The ill person,if the main caregiver and provider in the family, may not be able to provide care to the geriatric/paediatric population at home on account of his /her isolation and this strains the relationship of give and take that exists at the family level.Emotional strains can also occurs in the relationships due to the high levels of stress affect both by the ill person and his family members.

Physiological impacts:

The social distancing and isolation of the the main caregiver in the family effects to the physiological needs of the elderly or the paediatric family members whom he or she routinely takes care of.

An illperson may be unable to provide for older persons care at home when ill thus affecting the physiological daily needs of his elderly family member.Likewise the physiological needs of a breatfeeding infant may be unmet if the mother is placed in social distancing and isolation norms because of her illness.

This creates a feeling of guilt of inability to provide in the person who is sick and isolated, feeling of burden/additional responsibilty for the family member who has to provide for his/her role in his/her absence, feelings of neglect and inadequacy for the family member whose physiological needs are unmet.

Financial impacts:

The family of an ill person and social distancing and isolation norms experiences financial distress especially if the ill person is the only earning member in the family,more so if daily wager  and the family is dependent on him for their financial needs.Additionally,the financial burden of the family may increase on account of the medical and healthare expenditures that the family has to bear