My grandmother is 94. We have been quarantined since March 9th. We have had 2 RN visits since that date. Other than that no one in and no one out! Her children are asking to come and visit seeing as lockdown regulations are being relaxed. One is retired but still goes out frequently and doesn’t social distance. The other was recently called back to work. When they visit they spend the night and one prefers to sleep in my grandmothers bed with her. We have done a great job of taking every precaution. I am nervous to have in home visitors using our kitchen and bathrooms and roaming freely about the house. Any advice to help keep us as safe as possible? The family dynamic is a bit strained as I am the granddaughter here full time and they her daughters. I want to be as prepared as possible when I speak with them about this subject so that I feel comfortable when they visit. It is difficult for me to have a voice sometimes. All I want is for my grandmother to be safe.
I would also check with grandma, who, I gather, does not have dementia.
The thing is any visit could also compromise your health and you are a person in your own right who wants to stay safe (control your environment) and also grandma's caregiver. How well could you care for her if you are sick. How much care does she need. How concerned are you about getting the infection?
Personally I would say no especially to people who don't social distance and who want to sleep with grandma????? That's plain weird to me and would optimize the exchange of any germs.
I'm past the age when I worry about what others think of my boundaries. You have to consider yourself here as well as grandma.
My LO was diagnosed after being exposed by a non symptomatic carrier, who didn’t have symptoms until 2 days after my LO was tested. She was ill for 3 weeks, and has now recovered is speaking to me via Face Time, and is beginning to seem much more herself.
None of her MC caregivers have seen anything unusual about her, in spite of an unrelated fall that required 11 stitches.
My OWN doctor is totally opposed to any outside exposure for my husband and myself, both aged 75 and in good health.
Granted, we are in a VERY bad Covid area, but I wouldn't risk exposure. It might be helpful for you to contact one of Grandmother’s health care folks, then blame them for saying that she should be isolated.
I think under the circumstances that it’s kind of cheesy of your aunts for putting you on the spot about this. If you can do it without starting WW III, stick to your guns.
See where I'm going with this?
I've had 2 aunts die of COVID19 now, both quite elderly and living in NYC. I personally feel like God takes His children home when it's their TIME to go. Covid 19 or no Covid19. It was apparently my Aunts' time to go, so God took them.
That's just my 2 cents on the subject, not necessarily your views or anyone else's. While we're all killing ourselves to keep very old people 'safe from harm', we're REALLY killing them in other ways ie: loneliness and lack of human touch and comfort. What does GRANDMA want to do here?
Wishing you the best of luck moving forward.
To put this in context. My Dad lives in a ground level suite in my brothers home. My brother has a wife (a doctor) and three kids under 12. Only my brother enters Dad's suite. Dad only leaves for medical appointments. I am not allowed to visit and I am OK with that. I am being very careful in my own life, but it is a 5 trip including a ferry ride to go visit.
My MIL is in LTC with covid. My own mother lives next door to me. These are the rules we put in place to keep my mom "safe". Even if the elderly "recover" from covid they often have profound lasting problems that forever degrade their quality of life, and many suffer a prolonged death from cognitive, respiratory and other problems. Ask them if they're willing to risk this for the sake of a visit?
The Covid-19 just entered the Assisted Living where my bro recently died. Just now after all this time, care, shut down, checking temps and etc. And it entered via a woman asymptomatic. She fell, and was diagnosed in the ER as covid +. Be sympathetic. But this is life and death now. Your odds are in your favor she would be fine; are they willing to gamble with her life?