When coronavirus strikes your mother's nursing home, what should you do?
As COVID-19 spreads across the globe, we are all in this fight together, but we are all experiencing it differently. I am healthy, but overwhelmed with frustration and anxiety over my mother, who is in a nursing home in the epicenter of the coronavirus in Queens, N.Y. My mother is almost 86 years old, a Haitian-American immigrant with underlying health conditions, confined to a communal residence where the coronavirus is present — and which lacks the ability to test all of the residents.
I get anxious and antsy until I can see my mother on FaceTime. This is the longest time that has gone by without a visit. I spoke to the director of the facility, and she told me that my mother was not showing any symptoms and that none of the patients that tested positive for COVID-19 were near her room and that they were all being quarantined separately. She cannot share with me the number of patients that have it, have recovered from it or have passed away.
I wrestle with all of these thoughts throughout the day while working full time, homeschooling my son and checking in on my friends and family. I tell my co-workers and friends that fear and faith cannot live in the same house, not only to encourage them but also to reassure myself. I am on a group chat with my friends, and unfortunately, they have had family members who have passed away due to COVID-19.
I thanked her for all that she was doing and for showing up every day. I understand that on some days they may find themselves a little short-staffed if someone is out sick or doesn’t come in to work. Some of the nurses have gone on leave because of their own health conditions or over concerns of bringing back the disease to someone in their family with an underlying condition.
If we do not prioritize saving lives right now, we are saying that our veterans, parents and elders are expendable. We know that marginalized communities are more affected, and we need to make them a priority. The facilities that care for our loved ones need tests, masks and other equipment for the safety of the staff and residents.
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