The brutal isolation imposed by the pandemic on Alzheimer’s patients living in care facilities is straining their families to the limits as being implicated in thousands of ”excess” deaths of this vulnerable population.
(see article in Washington Post)
”Overlooked amid America’s war against the coronavirus is this reality: People with dementia are dying not just from the virus but from the same strategy of isolation that’s supposed to protect them. In recent months, doctors have reported increased falls, pulmonary infections, depression, and sudden frailty in patients who had been stable for years.” (William Wan Washington Post, September 2020.
Pandemic-driven isolation creates a painful dilemma for families on the verge of needing a new level of care for some with Alzheimer’s disease. Do they move the person to a care facility, or do they try to bring additional resources into the home? Either way, the cost is substantial, and the stress remains overwhelming, with all options subject to the limitations of the pandemic.
It would be helpful if there were a guide that offered a pandemic-game plan for keeping Alzheimer’s patients at home. It could provide an overview of the resources, setup, and advanced care issues involved with this choice amid the COVID-19 threat. It would help families decide if this a viable option for them to try with the hope of a breakthrough with a vaccine, new treatments, and effective tracking will begin to reduce the pandemic’s isolation.