Hi. I currently provide care for my 84 year old grandmother who has Parkinson's and early stage dementia. It has gotten to the point where my grandmother's Parkinson's and arthritis have left her with contracture and pretty much all over body rigidity/stiffness. I need a small break but am worried about covid. I was wondering how safe nursing home respite care is now due to covid and the recent omicron variant? She is fully vaccinated and has Medicare and Medicaid. Would in home care be a better option?
Your Grandma has Parkinsons, and I'm not sure where that puts her in term of "compromised" health, or if she's obese or has other medical issues, but eventually everyone will get Omicron, wearing a mask or not, boosted or not, unless you literally never leave your home or come in contact with other humans. If you go out into the world, or have family or aids coming in, eventually it will be brought to her.
As for fear of getting the virus - I think that having her fully vaccinated is likely the best you can do whether she goes to a facility or you choose a home care option, ultimately you have to make the decision based on your personal risk/benefit analysis.
It's not wrong to make self-care a priority. Imagine what will happen if you don't take care of yourself and something happens to you. Who will help her? If you can answer that question with the name of a person, ask them for help! Sometimes people want to help but don't know how. All they can say is "no".