Very recently, the federal government issued a statement indicating that once nursing home residents have been fully vaccinated, they are once again allowed to hug their loved ones. Additionally, indoor visits are once again able to resume in certain instances. After about a year of COVID-19 restrictions, the vaccine has brought hope to many.
Now, individual states still have the right to institute stricter guidelines if necessary. However, the fact that the federal government is beginning to indicate that certain activities are safe again is promising. With more vulnerable individuals receiving vaccines, some people building resistance to the virus through exposure, and a greater understanding of what exactly the novel coronavirus is and what it does, some areas of the U.S. are beginning to loosen restrictions. This doesn’t mean that the virus is gone or that all restrictions can be eliminated. Wearing a mask is still a good idea. Practicing social distancing still reduces your risk of getting sick. But some parts of life are beginning to return to normal.
And senior citizens benefit as a result of this. There is less of a risk of isolation now. For some, the mental illnesses that have been exacerbated because of extended periods of isolation have been far worse than the virus itself has been. While the virus hasn’t have a fatal impact on everyone that has had it, we have also seen a big spike in suicide rates during this time period. Unfortunately, these issues have continued to progress because of the need to slow the spread of the virus. For many, it has been a Catch-22 of sorts. There’s no good answer for how to solve this problem.
The pandemic has taken a lot from us and exposed a lot of issues in care.
At least, there wasn’t a good answer. The vaccines that have been approved for usage in the U.S. have given us a glimmer of hope for reuniting with isolated loved ones. Hopefully, this continues to progress and seniors are kept both safe and healthy.
The pandemic has changed how we live. And it’s changed senior care forever. Those of us that have been involved in the industry for any length of time have seen these issues rise in severity for years, but the pandemic has thrust them into the spotlight for everyone to see. It’s not that they were being kept a secret–this blog has covered the topic many times over the years. Rather, it’s that the general public doesn’t always see the same thing that we do because they don’t have a loved one involved in the care system. They don’t see or hear the stories about the difficulties that others have because they aren’t always given news time.
But COVID has changed that. It might be one of the very few good things that the pandemic has done for us. It’s helped expose the issues that some seniors have faced, and as a result of that, there’s now a bigger impetus to fix these issues.
Let’s welcome this opportunity to help others. The pandemic has taken much from us. Let’s do what we can to help others so they never have to face these issues again.
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