Waiting to Die: Will Boredom Kill as Many Older People as Covid-19 if Left Unchecked? Joel Eisenberg Follow Apr 11 · 5 min read

What can we do?

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My mother was downbeat today. That scares me, as she’s always been an optimistic sort. She’ll soon be 79 years old, is in great shape, and her three boys call her every day.

She’s terrified, because I live in Los Angeles with one brother, and my other brother lives in New Jersey while she resides in Florida.

Mom was planning to visit all of us this month. The airlines refunded her money, as they’ve done with so many others.

She lives by herself, well, if you don’t count her cat, and I worry that she’ll soon become depressed if things don’t change.

And then she’ll get old.

I cannot picture my mom being old. She’s used to dancing every weekend at her favorite local club, Armante’s. She went ziplining for the first time (on a cruise ship) only three years ago.

Speaking of, she misses her cruises, and wonders if she’ll ever be able to take another. High atop her bucket list is Hawaii, and Israel.

My dad passed nearly a decade ago. She, like her boys, thinks about him daily.

He wouldn’t have wanted her to give up on life.

I don’t want my mom to give up, either.