Although the Coronavirus has had an impact on everyone, it severely affected those residing in retirement residences, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities. This segment of the population was isolated and lonely.
The Ministry of Health allowed no visitors for several months, beginning in March of 2020. Residents were greeting family members through windows and teleconferencing. Helping residents stay connected with family members proved to be a challenge: staff took the equipment to the rooms of seniors and those with medical issues.
Ministry guidelines permitted no group socializing, and activities consisted of a printout of daily puzzles. They could not play Bridge since the Ministry guidelines prohibited four at a table.
When the Ministry of Heal reduced the restrictions, residents made their teleconference calls from public areas and the few people social distancing in the area could not help but overhear what should have been a private conversation.
Dining room changes incorporated social distancing, which meant only two chairs per table and new scheduled times for meals. Staff were sanitizing tables and chairs after each meal.
Little did we realize that this was the harbinger of worse things to come.
In the residence where I lived, a real quarantine was imposed after one resident tested positive for Covid-19. The Ministry of Health restricted everyone to their rooms with NO VISITORS, and meals delivered in paper bags with take-out containers and plastic cutlery. Residents sat in their doorways to chat with their neighbours but mostly, we were alone and isolated.
This confinement was a common situation in the Spring of 2020 but those of us with pets experienced additional stress as we struggled to care for our animal family members.
Luckily, I was able to have cat food, treats, and litter delivered. Thanks to the efforts of our essential workers in the food, retail, and transport workforce, the health of my rescue cat, Nana, has been okay.
Grooming was impossible and Nana’s nails needed trimming. After six months I was worried, and she was ruining my furniture with her scratching. I could not see well enough to attempt the procedure myself and I wondered what other pet parents did.
With cabin fever in full force, humans and animals became increasingly short-tempered and impatient with others. Not everyone remembered that our loved ones and our pets were just as stressed as we were.
Mandates are no longer in force, and we are thankful to be resuming our previous activities but with the continuing risk of Covid 19, we know our ordeal is not over.
Other generations managed to deal with wars and natural disasters so we know we can do this.