As nursing homes remain under lockdown, families worry about support for older loved ones

The last time Hal Bringman saw his mother in person, he brought her an Amazon Echo, a smart TV and a tablet. That was in early March, just days before long-term care facilities closed to the public, in turn, cutting off families from their older loved ones.

Now, that technology is the only way Bringman, 49, of Bainbridge Island, can communicate with his 81-year-old mother, who has dementia and lives at Orchard Pointe, a memory care facility in Port Orchard. It’s better than nothing, though it’s still hard not to be there in person.

“It’s very painful, it's one of those things where you can’t do anything,” Bringman said. “You can't even visit them and there’s nothing you can do about it no matter how hard you try.”

It’s been two months since Bringman last visited his mom. It’s likely to be much longer as long-term care facilities remain under strict lockdowns to protect highly vulnerable residents, even as other parts of society will start to reopen under Gov. Jay Inslee’s phased plan.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/as-nursing-homes-remain-under-lockdown-families-worry-about-support-for-older-loved-ones/ar-BB13xG5S