This month in Crisis Corner, I want to discuss the COVID deaths that most people do not hear about. I am not talking about deaths caused, directly, by someone contracting COVID but rather the deaths caused by the unbearable isolation that so many seniors are facing in care facilities.
Early in the pandemic most care facilities stopped allowing any visitors to the residents, though a few made exceptions for spouses or allowed outdoor or “through the window screen” visits. Within two months of these lockdowns I started noticing an increase in the number of Probates being handled by the firm. Only one of those new Probates involved someone who died of COVID related illness, but many of them were people who lived in nursing homes or assisted living facilities and who were no longer allowed to see their loved ones.
I have no definitive proof that the two things are related. I am not a trained psychologist or statistician. I am a person who has spent a lot of time visiting clients in care facilities over the years. I know how important visits from friends and family can be. I even had a few clients who were excited to see me, which says a lot about how lonely these facilities can be. I absolutely believe that many of my new Probate work was caused by residents of these facilities who simply gave up the will to go on when they lost their connection to loved ones.
On September 17, 2020, the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) issued new instructions to nursing homes that encourage resuming visitation of some kind. The statement echoes my own thoughts when it states:
While CMS guidance has focused on protecting nursing home residents from COVID-19, we recognize that physical separation from family and other loved ones has taken a physical and emotional toll on residents. Residents may feel socially isolated, leading to increased risk for depression, anxiety, and other expressions of distress. Residents living with cognitive impairment or other disabilities may find visitor restrictions and other ongoing changes related to COVID-19 confusing or upsetting. CMS understands that nursing home residents derive value from the physical, emotional, and spiritual support they receive through visitation from family and friends.
If you have a friend or family member who is living in a nursing home or other care facility and you have not been able to have contact with them for months on end, I encourage you to read the CMS instructions; call the facility and find out how they are changing their policies in light of the instructions; and find a way to visit your loved ones. Even if you cannot do a live visit for one reason or another: convince the staff to facilitate a video chat visitation; make phone calls; send letters with new photos; stand outside of windows and wave; just be present for your loved one.
I love to stay busy and have work to do, but not because this virus has caused even more far reaching devastation that what it is already given credit for. In this instance I implore you to do all that you can to ensure that you do not become my next client because of this pandemic.
