After months of debate, we finally agreed to place mom in a memory care unit. Had already made a deposit, then the state mandated the stay-at-home, before we got all the paperwork completed and mom moved in.
Now, almost 4 weeks later, we are back to an impasse. The facility has stopped all interactions between the residents. Their only interactions is with staff members bringing in food and checking on them. My sister is adamant that we are not moving her in under those conditions, and she holds the medical directive for mom.
Personally, I am on the fence. I think she needs to be there. But I also agree with my sister that current conditions would be make it very difficult for her to transition from the comfort and familiar surroundings of home.
Two questions:
1) Would you consider placing a family member, knowing there will be no interaction with other residents, and that person effectively will be confined to their room?
2) For those who already have a family member in memory care, is this isolation something other facilities are doing?
Mom is 91 and still fairly social, so I am leaning to delaying the move. Other siblings, some of whom have been in the rotation of staying with mom sometimes, may balk if a delay occurs and that will shift all the responsibility to my younger sister and I, and we both live out of state.
Your siblings should understand. This is not an isolated case. ALL of the world is dealing with this. For almost every person in NH there is at least one person missing them terribly.
Sending your LO into a facility now would probably feel to them like solitary confinement. Please wait until she can transition safely and then try to get everybody to visit her on their appointed days if they have them. That way she won't be too frazzled with the move.