Healthy Living Blog – Heading Outdoors as An Older Adult during COVID-19

How to stay healthy and safe heading outdoors during COVID-19?
More people are heading outdoors as California’s reopening plans are underway. Public spaces have opened, like parks and hiking trails, for people to enjoy. Indoor places and businesses are slowly opening up. For older adults, leaving the home is a great risk. But what if you are looking to go to a public space?
Here are 5 tips on how to reduce your risk of infection:
- Practice proper hand hygiene — wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after leaving a public space. If there is no soap or water, use hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol.
- Wear a cloth face covering and physically distance at all times. You don’t have to wear a face covering if you have a medical condition that makes wearing a face covering dangerous or if you need assistance when putting on or taking off a face covering.
- Stay away from crowded areas and avoid close contact with anyone that does not live in your household.
- Choose to do outdoor activities like going to the park — it is easier to physically distance with more space and the open air makes it harder for COVID droplets to reach a person.
- Take fewer trips outside of the house. This can mean going to the grocery store every two weeks instead of once a week or running most of your errands in one day. If you have an underlying condition or have poor immune function, spend less time in public spaces. You can enjoy fresh air directly on your porch or yard!
Have questions or curious to learn more? Please reach out to our Health Center and make an appointment to speak with a doctor. AACI provides services in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and many other languages. Call (408) 975-2763 to schedule your appointment today!