WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES APRIL 23, 2020 13
ATTENTION HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS!
As the coronavirus epidemic
rages on across New York
City, we want to hear from the
health care workers on the front lives
battling to save lives.
Our reporters want to speak with
health care workers about what
they’ve witnessed in emergency
rooms, medical centers, nursing
homes and other facilities where
lives hang in the balance every day.
We want to tell their stories to show
New York City their courage but also
the severity of the conditions they
work in — and the situation they
face.
We welcome submissions at any
time from active New York City
physicians, nurses, lab technicians
and other health care workers who
are helping to treat patients.
Email your information to Editorin
Chief Zach Gewelb, and a reporter
may contact you soon. Your information
will be held confidentially; your
name will be used only with your
express permission, or withheld
upon request.
By submitting, you understand that
the content must not be false, defamatory,
misleading or hateful, or infringe
any copyright or any other third party
rights or otherwise be unlawful.
If we publish your content, we may
include your name and location.
SNAPS
SENDING THANKS
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY LISA KEST-FEIN
Send us your photos of Queens
and you could see them online or in our paper!
To submit them to us, tag @qnsgram on Instagram,
visit our Facebook page, tweet @QNS
or email editorial@qns.com (subject: Queens Snaps).
OP-ED
Helping seniors get through
the uncertainty of COVID-19
BY BETH FINKEL
These are deeply uncertain times,
but one thing we know for sure:
COVID-19 presents a much greater
risk for older adults and those with
underlying medical conditions.
Because the virus is so new, it can
be hard to know what to do to stay
safe. Here in New York, the epicenter
of the U.S. outbreak, we want
to make sure that older adults and
their caregivers have access to the
knowledge and resources they need
to stay safe and healthy.
First and foremost, older adults
should stay home as much as possible
and practice social distancing by
keeping at least six feet away from
other people. And, be careful where
you get your health information. The
best source about coronavirus is the
federal Centers for Disease Control,
at www.cdc.gov, or New York State’s
coronavirus telephone hotline at
888-364-3065.
For older adults without access to
the internet, New York City and state
have many resources available by
phone. Calling 311 is the best source
of coronavirus guidance in the city.
NY Connects, at 800-342-9871, can
connect you with assistance for
things like home care, transportation
and meals.
The New York City Department
For The Aging, at 212-244-6469, connects
homebound older adults with
services.
Staying at home and social distancing
can lead to isolation, a major
problem as we age. For now, virtual
visiting is often the best we can do.
AARP recognizes that and has created
an online platform to help. AARP’s
Community Connections website, at
aarpcommunityconnections.org,
can connect you with mutual aid
groups – informal groups of volunteers
who provide various kinds of
assistance to their neighbors, such
as help getting groceries.
And unfortunately, older adults as
always need to be on the lookout for
scammers, who are exploiting this
crisis to steal money or personal
information. Beware any calls or
emails from unknown sources, and
only share information with people
you know and trust.
Last but not least, it’s important to
stay in regular contact with family
caregivers and loved ones to avoid
social isolation and the physical and
emotional toll it takes. We encourage
everyone to check in regularly with
the older adults in their lives.
This is a challenging time for all
of us, especially older adults. But
armed with the right information
and resources, we can get through
this.
You can find more information
about all of these services and many
others at www.aarp.org/coronavirus,
or www.aarp.org/elcoronavirus
en Espanol.
Beth Finkel is the state director of
AARP New York.
/WWW.QNS.COM
/www.cdc.gov
/coronavi-rus
/coronavi-rus
/elcoronavirus
link
/www.cdc.gov
/aarpcommunityconnections.org
/elcoronavirus
link
