After affects following Covid 19 – 2020
I last hugged my mom on Feb. 22, 2020. Little did I know in a matter of weeks the doors would be locked to visitors.
My biggest fear was that Mom would have a fall during this lock down and sure enough, May 5th Mom fell and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. After many tests, x rays, and a long period in the ER it was found she had a fx pelvis.
She just needed to stay off it and heal but Memory Care couldn’t take her back, another facility wouldn’t take her due to the type of insurance that she has, and the other had no open rooms at the time. Because of this she spent a week in the hospital until a bed opened and she was then transferred to a new facility.
All of this happened with no family to support and advocate for her, because of Covid 19.
I am sure many of you who are reading this are saying; “hey wait, that is my story.” Too many people have had to go through much the same experience and worse. Unfortunately for those with dementia, this isolation from loved ones and lack of human touch has caused a tremendous increase in their disease process, in depression, anxiety, loneliness, escalated decline in their cognitive loss as well as increase in behaviors.
So……. When and where will this end?
As I am writing this there is a vaccine that has been made available to some which is amazing. But what will we find once we are finally able to be reunited with our loved ones? I am not trying to sound negative because I have worked hard to find the positives throughout this past year, but when I allow myself to think about the lost time with Mom I tend to go down a more negative path.
I do want to recognize all the amazing healthcare workers and all the creative ways that they have worked with their residents. I have an ‘angel activities lady’ named Lori who is always there for me to Zoom with Mom which just blesses my heart and Mom’s as well. Mom always says she wishes she could reach out and touch me. I tell her that I will be there as soon as I can and to look out because I will be hugging her so tight. Then she smiles really big and says “I can almost feel it! That will feel so good!!”
I think there are a lot of lessons learned from this past year. One is to never take human touch/contact for granted. Don’t ever take time with friends and family for granted. Don’t ever take your job for granted. I will never look at healthcare workers the same again, I so appreciate each one of you. Don’t ever take the gift of time for granted. I so appreciate my husband, my little dog Ralphie and where we live. I have been able to watch each season come and go this year where other years I ‘saw’ it but in a blur of rushing off here and there, but this year it was on my many, many walks that I saw it as it should be seen……amazing.
So, as this new year unfolds there will continue to be effects from Covid that we will be dealing with but let’s try to not forget the lessons that we have learned this year and slow down and appreciate this gift called life. (look out Mom, I am coming there soon!!)