International Journal of Clinical Case Reports, 2025, Vol.15, No.5, 219-227 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijccr 220 2 Changes in Healthy Behaviors 2.1 Adjustments to diet, sleep schedule and daily habits During home quarantine, the dietary habits and daily arrangements of the elderly have undergone significant changes. Many people say that they eat more and more frequently than before, have more opportunities to cook at home, and especially enjoy making baked and fried foods. Although the purchase of fast food and pastries sold outside has decreased, there are more homemade pastries and sugary drinks than before, which has also led to weight gain for many elderly people (Kriaučionienė et al., 2020). These dietary changes are often accompanied by disruptions to the daily rhythm, such as irregular meal times, irregular sleep and increased free time, all of which can have an impact on overall health and mental state (Zanjari et al., 2023). In addition to changes in diet, they have also adjusted their daily habits to adapt to staying at home for long periods of time. The significant reduction in social interaction and face-to-face communication has brought about more boredom and psychological distress. Some elderly people attempt to adapt by engaging in intellectual activities at home. However, the lack of regular daily arrangements and social interactions often aggravates anxiety, depression and loneliness (Di Santo et al., 2020; Kim et al., 2021; Mendoza-Ruvalcaba et al., 2022). 2.2 Reduce physical activity and use household substitutes During the quarantine period, the physical activity level of the elderly dropped significantly. More than half of them reported a reduction in activity and an increase in sedentary time. Due to the cancellation of team sports and restrictions on outdoor activities, the time they spend sitting or lying down has increased significantly, which leads to weakness, muscle loss and an increased risk of chronic diseases (Di Santo et al., 2020; Oliveira et al., 2021; De Maio Nascimento et al., 2022). Even for those who were previously very active, it is difficult to switch to home exercise. Unguided exercise usually cannot replace organized group activities (Fernandez-Garcia et al., 2020; Goethals et al., 2020). To make up for the lack of exercise, some elderly people try to do light exercises at home, such as stretching, walking indoors or exercising by following online videos. However, not everyone can adhere to these methods, as they often encounter problems such as insufficient space, lack of motivation or unfamiliarity with technology. To help the elderly maintain independence and mental health during long-term isolation, it is necessary to design simple and feasible exercise programs and promote national activities to facilitate home exercise (Gao et al., 2020; Sepulveda-Loyola et al., 2020). 2.3 Limited access to medical services and changes in self-health management Isolation makes it difficult for elderly patients to access regular medical care, rehabilitation and face-to-face counseling. Many patients' visits were cancelled and rehabilitation training was interrupted, resulting in decreased activity ability, increased drug use and deterioration of chronic diseases (Cohen et al., 2020; Cagnin et al., 2020). The lack of direct guidance from doctors also increases the pressure on caregivers and reduces the opportunity to deal with new health problems in a timely manner (Xu and Li, 2025). More and more elderly people and their caregivers are beginning to manage their own health, such as observing symptoms at home, adjusting medication on their own, and consulting doctors remotely when conditions permit. Although telemedicine can address some issues, many elderly people are not very proficient in using electronic devices or do not have the relevant equipment. These factors limit its effectiveness. The situation during the pandemic has shown that we need to adopt a more flexible approach that focuses more on the actual needs of the elderly to help them continue to receive health management support during home isolation (Sepulveda-Loyola et al., 2020; Zanjari et al., 2023). 3 Tracking Results of the Quality of Life of Elderly Patients under Home Isolation 3.1 Physical health and chronic disease control Home quarantine has significantly reduced the physical health of the elderly, especially in terms of muscle strength, activity ability and overall physical fitness. Research indicates that arm and leg strength, muscle mass, energy and walking ability all declined significantly. More than 60% of the elderly participants experienced a
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