Quarantine
I wrote this piece last fall when my mom was in quarantine at her nursing home. I have added a few more images this time to reflect the change in time and visitation rules. I am reposting this since she is back in the hospital with an infection.
I took this series in October 2020 when my mom was placed in quarantine due to nursing home policies. Since the pandemic, we all have suffered personal loss in many ways. Some bereave the loss of a loved one, and some bereave the disruption of the family unit. In my mom’s case, it has been the separation from family.
Mom currently resides in a nursing home where interpersonal contact and activity are severely restricted. Recommendations by the CDC dictate that nursing home residents lead a hermetic life for their personal safety. As she suffers from dementia, her condition is exacerbated by the lack of stimulation and activity. To make matters worse, I was unable to tell her of my brother’s death in person. Instead, I had an impersonal conversation outside her window over the phone. She was able to attend his funeral this summer, but she was isolated for fear of infecting other residents and staff. She has been isolated three times this year after each time she left the nursing home. Fortunately she was not infected.
This series was taken during one of those isolation periods. I found the reflections fascinating as they depict my mom’s image blending into the background. It only seems apropos under the circumstances. The dehumanization that we all have suffered deeply saddens me. I am especially angered by the depersonalization of the elderly that reside in nursing homes. We shouldn’t be forced to make the decisions that separate us from being a family. Holidays, which define togetherness, won’t be the same this year.
I am not writing this to resolve this problem of separation. I want to highlight this problem so that others become aware and attend to those in most need. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, become involved in their lives. Let the staff know that you care and thank them for their service during these trying times.
