Care home rules should be relaxed

Dear Editor:

I just received confirmation that next week visits with residents of care homes will begin, with conditions attached, as there should be.

Masks are mandatory and you must bring your own. Social distancing guidelines will be followed, no hugs or touching.

Visits will be limited to 30 minutes with only one family member allowed and visits are limited to one per family per week. And each visit will be supervised by a staff member. All of these guidelines have been put in place by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

I have no issue with any of these guidelines if visits are to be held inside a facility.

And I get the one visit per week rule if a staff member must be present for each and every person who comes to see a loved one.

However, upon receiving the visiting protocols from my husband’s care home, visits are going to be held in the large, covered area outside the front door, making entering the building itself completely unnecessary.

So if we are not entering the building but are visiting outdoors, are masked and are socially distant, why are we being limited to only one person per visit?

It makes little sense to me. It will also mean it will take eight weeks for my close knit family of children and grandchildren to each have the opportunity to spend time with their dad and papa before the cycle can start again.

My take on this: Relax the one person visiting rule to allow two or three people if all visits are being held in an outdoor space with no need to even step foot in the facility.

In the case of my husband, who is in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s, there is a much greater chance of some spark of recognition or awareness out of him if there is interaction going on between members of our family as opposed to just that one person sitting in front of him.

So although I am glad to see visits resume I believe some leeway should be granted to any outdoor visit that eliminates the need to step inside a care home and I hope that Dr. Henry will soon allow for this to happen.

Sheryl Theessen

Kelowna