All over the country, Americans are dealing with liberties being taken away. No, this isn’t a dystopian future. It’s the reality of living in the middle of a pandemic. We’ve had liberties taken away, and whether we agree with it or not, we all know why they’ve been limited: it is to help keep other people in our communities safe from the spread of COVID-19.
We don’t have to like having these liberties restricted. In fact, no one is enjoying this. But most understand why it’s necessary. If we limit the amount of things that we do outside of our homes, we are a lot less likely to spread COVID-19 and we’re a lot less likely to get sick ourselves. It’s not a perfect solution, but it has helped to flatten the curve, so to speak, when it comes to the number of people that will get the disease right away. It’s not stopping it, but it’s slowing it down. This allows hospitals and doctors to more adequately respond to the vast need within our communities.
But there are some very real questions that need to be asked when it comes to the restrictions that have been imposed. For example, think about what’s been going on throughout the country when it comes to racial unrest. A lot of cities have seen mass gatherings with almost no fallout because of COVID-19 that we know of. Does this mean that we really don’t need to be sheltering in place? Does it mean that lockdowns of nursing homes have been completely unnecessary?
In short, no. Just because some of the situations that we would have expected to spread the coronavirus haven’t done so doesn’t mean that the virus does not spread. Masks have certainly helped slow the spread, as has social distancing. These steps might seem severe, but they have helped to flatten the curve and slow down the spread of the illness. They have helped hospitals to be able to more effectively keep up with treatment and keep people healthy. It’s not fair that some people can so cavalierly ignore these guidelines without repercussion, but then again, it’s not like they are doing themselves any favors when they are ignored. There’s no guarantee of safety when this is done and the people that do so are putting themselves and those around them at a heightened risk of illness.
There has been a very real cost to social distancing, and seniors bear the brunt of it. Mental health needs have skyrocketed throughout the country, and seniors are suffering because of this isolation. It is unfortunate, but it has helped improve physical health. Hopefully, seniors across the country are able to use technology and other means to communicate with the people that they care about. Those that run senior care centers and nursing homes should be ensuring that these resources are available to help those that are isolated not feel this way.
Balance is needed. Finding care that can achieve this is important. As always, if you have questions about finding the right senior care, please get in touch with us. We would love to help get you pointed in the right direction.
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