Seniors in coronavirus lockdown separated from families

In efforts to protect residents of senior care facilities many clients are no longer able to have visits from family; the emotional impacts

Time many regions are reporting such incidents at nursing homes... many families... myself included... are now separated from our elders who are living at senior memory care and assisted living facilities.

Per health guidelines - only essential staff are now allowed inside.

It is a challenging time... i am the primary caregiver for my almost 90 year old mother.

I recently shared this picture on social media.

It's how we now visit we talk on the phone and through the window.

This dayãshe broke down in tears& crying at being separated.

It's tough.

And i'm not alone.

"you feel guilty, because they're there and you're home and you can't get there, and the only way you can talk to them is by phone or skype with them."

((track)) cynthia robinson is now cut off from her husband, ed, also in facility care.

Husband, father and former c-h-p officer, he has dementia.

Cynthia's daily visitsãno more.

She tells meã she worries about ed's care& andãhas an even deeper fear.

((sot)) "they have memory problems and you don't want them to forget who you are by not seeing you on a daily basis?

I'm afriad he's going to lose more of their memory and forget who you are.

It's the same for lori monacoã she's in south florida; fearful her elderly fathers memory will fail while in a v.a.

Hospitalã no visitors allowed.

((track)) high profile cases involving the coronavirus - like the 35 deaths at seattle's kirland life center, and the death of a resident at a sacramento facility& have many on edge about the safety of loved onesã lori monaco is in floridaãshe too is cut-off from her father -- a world war two vet - with failing memory.

In orland& art leonard worries about his 93 year old mother doris also in facility care.

"it's been a straing and with questions and concerns and not being able to physically visit& ((track)) no easy answers& to balance the health & safety for our elders.

"i would rather he be safe and not have it and not get sick, cynthia says... her husband doesn't understand the situation or why her visits have stopped... he believes she is simply too busy to make time for him.

What also makes this experience so difficult - is not knowing if any members of care staff could possibly expose family to the virus.

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