When I'm in bad enough shape to need a nursing home, I'm going to be hoping for something that will come along and finish me off quick

Bingo Bango Bongo said:

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When I'm in bad enough shape to need a nursing home, I'm going to be hoping for something that will come along and finish me off quick

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I'm just the opposite. I don't care what shape I'm in, just keep me alive because I'll know that the next year will be Ags year.

it is my understanding that AC systems don't spread this virus.

The people who work in nursing homes do. Many work at more than one facility. Many circulate among all patients.

I've read strategies including isolating residents into smaller units that do not share workers, that way if virus is detected it is isolated more quickly. It requires quite a bit of restructuring and then the problem is dining facilities and other group locations.

The current epicenter of the virus IMO.

My 83 year old mother has dementia and is in a nursing home. I'd love for her to be able to live at home with my dad but she requires too much assistance and care. Early on they had a worker that was Covid positive. Six weeks or more later and no other resident or worker has become ill. Yea!!! Thank the Lord, our prayer were answered.

But now after nine weeks there are other tolls. The toll of isolation on the residents and separation extended on their spouses and families is causing depression and decline in health. Obviously they are at less risk of infection but also at an increased risk of premature death due to the isolation and lack of socialization.

At the same time, they are not completely protected from the risk. Many of them regularly have to leave the home for doctor appointments. My mother leaves for dialysis at least three days each week and sits in a room with 20 other patients and workers for four hours each time who are coming from the same environments as the rest of us. Each worker lives their lives outside of their jobs just as the rest of us. They shop at grocery stores, live with family that work in public spaces, factories, and civil service jobs, they eat take out, get car repairs, have home improvements made and are regularly around people besides the residents and coworkers.

And what do they do to protect the residents from the workers and residents who commute to other places? When anyone enters they must wear a common surgical mask and they take their temperature at the door. That's it. I'm sure most of them also wash their hands and apply antiseptic product but that's all they do.

My dad goes to the facility on my mom''s dialysis days, sits in his car and waits for her to arrive back. When she gets there he gets out and walks over to give her some fruit, cut up veggies or other snacks along with any clothes he has cleaned. He wears a mask and isn't allowed to get closer than arms distance. They speak for a couple of minutes, tell each other they love one another and say their goodbyes. Sometimes he will go to her room window and talk to her over the phone with the blinds raised.

That is all the interaction they are allowed. Before this he was there nearly every day for several hours. All the other patients and workers know him. He helped take care of mom, restricting her fluid intake, keeping her from removing bandages or picking at her wounds, communicating with the nurses, encouraging mom to do what the staff asked, keeping her room straight and clothes put away and providing companionship. Now he can't do any of that.

Dad is 83 and high risk like all the other elderly people are. He isolates pretty well only visiting my house or with my sister when she is able to come up from Round Rock. He buys his groceries and does his necessary shopping only. So is he any more of a risk to be allowed in the nursing home than any of the workers or even my mother after she goes to dialysis? Isn't it reasonable to take his temperature, have him wear a mask, scrub up and possibly even wear a disposable surgical gown over his clothes and still visit in an isolation area with mom?

I understand the base logic of the health officials and the rules they have developed. But I don't understand the limited scope of their view of what is best and what can reasonably be done to accommodate needs beyond the reduction of virus spread. I don't understand that they can't see the existing risk of the health care workers spreading the virus is no less and maybe greater than you or I visiting and following the same protocols in a health care facility. And this applies to other things such as the birth of my first grandchild coming up in September. And I don't know why they ignore the tremendous benefits to my mother and other patients that would occur if they were allowed a reasonably designed set of protocols that would allow them to spend some time with their loved ones and the benefits to people like my dad.

And to be honest, we can apply this same logic to bridging the Grand Canyon of change from the old normal to the strict social distancing instituted two months ago when we knew so much less than we know today.

AggieBiker said:

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My 83 year old mother has dementia and is in a nursing home. I'd love for her to be able to live at home with my dad but she requires too much assistance and care. Early on they had a worker that was Covid positive. Six weeks or more later and no other resident or worker has become ill. Yea!!! Thank the Lord, our prayer were answered.

But now after nine weeks there are other tolls. The toll of isolation on the residents and separation extended on their spouses and families is causing depression and decline in health. Obviously they are at less risk of infection but also at an increased risk of premature death due to the isolation and lack of socialization.

At the same time, they are not completely protected from the risk. Many of them regularly have to leave the home for doctor appointments. My mother leaves for dialysis at least three days each week and sits in a room with 20 other patients and workers for four hours each time who are coming from the same environments as the rest of us. Each worker lives their lives outside of their jobs just as the rest of us. They shop at grocery stores, live with family that work in public spaces, factories, and civil service jobs, they eat take out, get car repairs, have home improvements made and are regularly around people besides the residents and coworkers.

And what do they do to protect the residents from the workers and residents who commute to other places? When anyone enters they must wear a common surgical mask and they take their temperature at the door. That's it. I'm sure most of them also wash their hands and apply antiseptic product but that's all they do.

My dad goes to the facility on my mom''s dialysis days, sits in his car and waits for her to arrive back. When she gets there he gets out and walks over to give her some fruit, cut up veggies or other snacks along with any clothes he has cleaned. He wears a mask and isn't allowed to get closer than arms distance. They speak for a couple of minutes, tell each other they love one another and say their goodbyes. Sometimes he will go to her room window and talk to her over the phone with the blinds raised.

That is all the interaction they are allowed. Before this he was there nearly every day for several hours. All the other patients and workers know him. He helped take care of mom, restricting her fluid intake, keeping her from removing bandages or picking at her wounds, communicating with the nurses, encouraging mom to do what the staff asked, keeping her room straight and clothes put away and providing companionship. Now he can't do any of that.

Dad is 83 and high risk like all the other elderly people are. He isolates pretty well only visiting my house or with my sister when she is able to come up from Round Rock. He buys his groceries and does his necessary shopping only. So is he any more of a risk to be allowed in the nursing home than any of the workers or even my mother after she goes to dialysis? Isn't it reasonable to take his temperature, have him wear a mask, scrub up and possibly even wear a disposable surgical gown over his clothes and still visit in an isolation area with mom?

I understand the base logic of the health officials and the rules they have developed. But I don't understand the limited scope of their view of what is best and what can reasonably be done to accommodate needs beyond the reduction of virus spread. I don't understand that they can't see the existing risk of the health care workers spreading the virus is no less and maybe greater than you or I visiting and following the same protocols in a health care facility. And this applies to other things such as the birth of my first grandchild coming up in September. And I don't know why they ignore the tremendous benefits to my mother and other patients that would occur if they were allowed a reasonably designed set of protocols that would allow them to spend some time with their loved ones and the benefits to people like my dad.

And to be honest, we can apply this same logic to bridging the Grand Canyon of change from the old normal to the strict social distancing instituted two months ago when we knew so much less than we know today.

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I agree with 100%, these visitations policy lacks compassion and wisdom. It may also be meritless.

I just don't understand how these policies became implemented seemingly overnight in the hospitals and nursing homes...not just in our region but nationwide.