LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SHARE YOUR VIEWS:
Healthy seniors should enjoy life
I am an anxious senior in my 85th year. Anxious not because I fear a possible death from COVID -19, but because of potential state-imposed age discrimination.
I am basically a healthy and active senior for my age. I have now spent a month in imposed incarceration in my room at a seniors’ residence. Given the pandemic’s onset, that was accepted. My fear now is that when things are loosened up, I will be subject to ongoing restrictions because of my age.
Oh! It is for my own good. But the preponderance of seniors contracting the disease is because of their being in improperly run facilities that are starved of resources. Yes, seniors do die of COVID -19, but we are going to die anyway before too long.
Why should I have agebased restrictions imposed on me because of past neglect of seniors? It is a heavy price to pay, and clearly age discrimination.
I want a life back, not necessarily a prolongation of my life!
Bob Wright, Westmount
CHSLD order is recipe for disaster
Re: “Scared and unprepared, staff forced into CHSLDS” (Montreal Gazette, April 27) It is unconscionable that the Legault government has now resorted to strong-arming people into working in CHSLDS with a threat of job loss if they refuse to do so. These new recruits are receiving a meagre two hours of training under exceedingly stressful conditions.
This is a recipe for disaster — both for those being forced to work in the CHSLDS and the patients they are being tasked with caring for.
Will the government’s next move be the conscription of ordinary citizens?
Cynthia Jarjour, St-lambert
Staying at home and loving it
Re: “We desperately want out of this empty COVID life” (Josh Freed, April 25)
I disagree with Josh: I love being at home.
I retired last year and I love it. Nothing is repetitive for me. I can now read this paper cover to cover and do all the crosswords, taking my time. I have spring-cleaned. I have bags of clothes to donate when charity stores open again. I have learned to bake sourdough bread and various gourmet meals. I am happy to be with my pets and my husband, who think this is the best year ever. I have Facetimed, Whatsapped and Zoomed to keep in touch with friends and loved ones. I had a course that continued online at Concordia, and I completed a Rosetta Stone language course. I have watched the buds bloom and the grass turn green.
Parents with children at home should revel in being able to spend this time with them, because they would have missed this part of their kids’ developing years had they been working at an office.
And we have finally learned to respect people’s personal space, which I hope continues.
Joyce Stempkowsky, N.D.G. letters@montrealgazette.com