AUDIO // In this episode Claire speaks about the current health crisis, her personal experience with eldercare, and the future of home health care.
In the wake of the onset of the pandemic many elders left their congregate living communities and returned to live with families. Anticipating social distancing, when the spread of disease would be rapid in some facilities and virus control measures would ban visiting, families stepped in to preserve their vital connection with their elders. Was this you? Did you choose to bring your loved one home from a nursing home or another setting?
This was not true in all cases of course. Many elders valued their community connections or had no family to turn to. The level of lockdown within facilities and the resulting isolation from their congregate communities have taken a toll on the mental and physical health of elder citizens. Where infection rates are high among the general population both caregivers and care recipients are victims of the rapidly spreading disease. Constant exposure to extremely ill elders causes the infection rate among caregivers to rise. In some facilities, steps were taken to minimize the risk of infection by having professional caregivers quarantine on the premises alongside the care recipients. The choice between employment and personal family concerns must be agonizing for these workers.
Are you an employee faced with these decisions? What are you doing now? Have you been supported by your employer with PPE? Do you feel you and your own family are protected?
What are the Choices?
We know elder citizens with chronic conditions are at greater risk. It’s impossible to calculate the emotional toll on these elders and their families as they weigh the risk of any choices available to them. Those who are alone, abandoned and without resources are left with whatever their community may have to offer. Pre-pandemic neglect was the most common form of elder abuse. When even the most well-meaning caregivers are stressed and short-staffed, social needs are unmet and elders are left in precarious health.
Time with a loved one cannot be replaced. The pain of separation and the impact of loneliness on elder health is real. How has your family handled the danger to your older loved ones?
Family as caregivers
Families are not oblivious to the dilemmas of age, particularly in populations skewing towards retirement. Many of those who saw downsizing into congregate communities a good option will reconsider their choices. Already we see staff shortages and positions unfilled in these communities as health care and facilities workers evaluate their commitment to such roles against the health risks to themselves and their families. Many essential workers now question the assumption they would willingly give their lives in their service to healthcare.
If you were employed in an elder care community, are you still employed there?
Older adults who have a choice now opt to stay in their homes longer. Elder families make the choice to continue family caregiving rather than place frail elders in congregate facilities. Home health care providers and domestic workers will continue to provide the respite and allow families to continue to work in order to support extended families.
If you previously managed the situation of care well and did what needed to be done, how is it now for you?
A Different Approach for the Future
Intergenerational communities with a shared commitment to look out for one another garner new attention. Shifts in elder care priorities have the potential to restore the heart and soul to many formerly sterile suburban communities. The concomitant need for specialized older adult home care services and complementary community resources will allow older adults and home health workers to live with their own families and do the caregiving work in their own communities.
Do you foresee this type of community as an option for you? How can we encourage communities to develop more options to support intergenerational communities?