Prohibiting visitors to nursing homes has arguably helped limit the spread of COVID-19. But what are the impacts of isolation? For some the impact has been profound.
According to a recent Washington Post article, pandemic-related segregation and isolation has killed thousands of Alzheimer’s patients while families watch from afar. According to the Post's research:
Beyond the staggering U.S. deaths caused directly by the novel coronavirus, more than 134,200 people have died from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia since March. That is 13,200 more U.S. deaths caused by dementia than expected, compared with previous years, according to an analysis of federal data....
The consequences are not limited to just deaths from dementia. Data also shows increased deaths from causes such as hypertension or sepsis, which "are occurring at much higher levels than in the past, experts say, in part because of the pandemic’s indirect effects." A recent study also demonstrates that the separation and isolation extends beyond just familial separation; all contact with nursing home residents fell by half amid the pandemic.
Overlooked in America’s war against the coronavirus is a stark reality: isolation and limits on human contact have profound direct and indirect mental and physical health consequences. For at least one population for which careful government data exists, the consequence is palpable and demonstrative; seniors with dementia are dying not just from the virus but from the very strategy of isolation that is supposed to protect them.
The effect of social isolation and division are important consideration as states begin to allow visits to nursing home residents. The article highlights a number of individuals' stories and compares reopening of SNFs in other countries to that of the US. According to the article:
"countries like the Netherlands have safely reopened their nursing homes without any increase in coronavirus cases by providing ample protective equipment, testing and rigorous protocols."
Aging in place might provide a more flexible arrangement, but requires serious appreciation and consideration of risks.
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