Looking back on it, nearly every person has been affected in some way by the Coronavirus pandemic. But, when thinking of those hit hardest, we are often reminded of our senior citizens.

People over 65 have accounted for more than 80% of COVID deaths and hospitalizations. Along with the physical toll it has taken on them, there has also been a spike in depression and isolation due to harsh lockdown measures. All this to say that the last year and a half has certainly not been easy for the elderly.

Diane Legaré, a 92-year-old Sherbrooke resident, has spent the majority of the last year and a half inside her home. As a natural homebody, she says that there has not been an enormous change to her lifestyle. But still, Legaré says she has felt disheartened by the physical and financial affects of COVID.

“At 92, I’ve seen so much. And with this, it seems that life will never be the same again. Life is now one worry after another… and I feel for the children, and those who have lost their businesses more than anything” she says.

Despite the isolation many felt when lockdowns began, Legaré has found no shortage of ways to keep herself occupied.

“Being the extrovert that I am, it’s been hard but, I’m a very self-sufficient person. I spend my days reading, doing brain games, and puzzles, things like that. I also keep up with the news and even have pen pals across Europe that I correspond with,” she explains.

Legaré is hopeful that mass vaccinations and warmer weather will bring a positive change. Above all, she is most excited about spending quality time with her children and granddaughter.

Legaré is not alone in her sentiments, as 83-year-old Maria Werner, an Anjou resident, originally from Germany, also feels a change for the better coming. Like Legaré, she too has been keeping busy.

“My coping mechanism has been simple; keep busy. I still cook, bake and crochet. That, and speaking to my grandchildren has kept me going more than anything.” says Werner.

But staying positive during such uncertainty is a lot easier said than done. When asked if there was an event in her lifetime that felt similar to Coronavirus, Werner compared the fear and panic from the early days of the pandemic to some of the experiences she lived through as a child in Europe during World War 2. She is not the first to make the comparison, and only time will tell how history remembers the COVID era.

Luckily, with vaccinations and eased restrictions, the battle is almost won. Older Canadians like Werner and Legaré have finally begun to regain some sense of normalcy after so much sacrifice. And, despite the darkness brought down by COVID, many folks can now see the long-awaited light at the end of the tunnel through some much-needed optimism and resilience.