In chronological order.... my former MIL, my childrens' grandmother, died alone in a skilled nursing facility in Florida, probably of Covid, in spring 2020. Whether she died of Covid is unknown because the state of FL refused to test her, as did her SNF facility. But she was isolated and alone when she died because of the pandemic.
My own mother, who was living in an assisted living facility when Covid hit, was isolated from her family and all other residents for most of 2020 and then again last summer 2021 due to the pandemic. She experienced a series of strokes, became fully disabled, and as of yesterday was admitted to hospice care. Much of my interaction with her over 12 months consisted of weekly zoom calls. She lost her ability to use the phone so she lost contact with her sister and other loved ones.
My aunt was just released from a hospital in another state, barely surviving Covid. These sisters, both in their 80s, love one another. I haven't had the heart to tell my mom that her sister was in the hospital for weeks and almost died. I can't communicate with my aunt - she's still on oxygen and exhausted and when I can talk with her - if she recovers - I dread telling her that her sister's dementia has progressed to the point where she would barely know her. They will never see one another again.
I haven't been able to see one of my sons for the past 18 months except a few times. He's missed most holidays. He's struggling and I have very limited ways to help other than sending money, talking with him on the phone. He needs more.
My other son had just gotten a promotion to a job involving community development when he was sent home to work remotely. The pandemic has hurt his career development in immeasurable ways.
Working from home since March 2020, communicating with co-workers and my internal and external clients only by email, phone, and zoom meetings has eroded human connections. As a result, I'm retiring early and taking a lower-paying job that will allow more contact with people.
Now we're braced for yet another wave of unknown severity. The few improvements we've seen in being able to interact with loved ones may be reversed.
At least I'll be able to visit my mom now that she's in hospice, for compassionate visits.
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