The Unkind Aftermath of the Pandemic

The unkind aftermath of the pandemic has become increasingly obvious on a personal level even as Covid cases and deaths fall. So far the improved statistics have had little effect on the aftermath our family is dealing with as our motherās health declines.
Mom is 92.Ā
Sheās lived in an assisted living memory care facility since 2015. She survived the pandemic without getting Covid. She endured a year without indoor visits from her family. She had no side effects from her vaccine. She was delighted when regular visits from her kids began in March of 2021. Soon after we began seeing the unkind aftermath of the pandemic as Momās health began to decline.Ā
Let me be clear.
Momās health issues are most likely not related to the pandemic. However, the blame for the difficulty weāve experienced while trying to address her increased care needs is definitely related to the unkind aftermath of the pandemic.
- Rapid staff turnover. Momās facility and many others canāt hold onto direct care staff and nurses. To solve the issue they rely on temp agencies to cover shifts. The care provided by temporary staff is often quite good, but they arenāt there long or often enough to get to know clientsā names, much less develop relationships.Ā
- Poor communication. This rapid turnover results in poor communication. Calling to check on Momās status is hard when a direct care staff member doesnāt know who youāre talking about. When nurses leave, which happened where Mom lives just as her health issues began, thereās no one to do charting, no one to follow through on medication changes, no one whoās qualified to report to the doctor, and no one to assess care needs and update care plans. Thereās also no one qualified to send a patientās notes and records so other facilities can determine if someone qualifies for their level of care.
- Limited access. Elder care facilities arenāt embracing the no masks necessary indoors for vaccinated adults. Considering the death rate for Covid among the elderly, their caution is completely warranted. It also adds to the challenge of finding a new place for Mom to live. We rejected a facility right down the street because they only allow outdoor visits because Mom canāt do outdoor visits right now. Two facilities that do allow visits arenāt giving tours because the visits are limited to family members of residents. One facility allowed us to meet with the administrator in her office. At the other facility, we had to meet in the parking lot. We have to choose Momās new home sight unseen.
For those whose families are vaccinated and healthy, the unkind aftermath of the pandemic can be easy to ignore. For families caring for children with disabilities and special needs, for those who love adults with compromised health, and for those supporting the elderly through their last years, the aftermath continues to define and limit their lives.
Your kindness has the power to make a difference in those families.
Get vaccinated.
Wear a mask when around people who arenāt vaccinated.
Wash your hands.
Stay home when youāre sick.
The quality of Momās final years depends upon your small and significant acts of kindness.
Please.
Be kind.
For Momās sake.
Please.
By Jolene
Jolene Philo is the author of theĀ Different DreamĀ series for parents of kids with special needs. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. Sheās also the creator and host of theĀ Different Dream website.Ā Sharing Love Abundantly With Special Needs Families: The 5 Love LanguagesĀ® for Parents RaisingĀ Children with Disabilities, which she co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman, was released in August of 2019 and is available at local bookstores, their bookstore website, andĀ at Amazon.
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