COVID Data Thread

[mackenzie]

Yes, the care homes data needs to be watched.
My mum is in a care home in a 'covid hotspot' (Lower Broughton, Salford).
Booked on 28/12 to see her in 3/1/22 but was advised to ring up and confirm again on 31/12. Rang on 31/12 but was told they were in 'lockdown' as Covid cases had been found again.

 

[Healdplace]

That is sad to hear. But not too surprising. I feel for you as my mum was in a care home for a few months years ago after months in hospital following a massive stroke. No Covid then thank God. She was only there as I had a tour I could not cancel as I had made committments to publishers and venues and whilst I had agreed to do no further events I still had to have my house converted so she could safely live there given all the equipment that had to be installed given her severe disability - which took a few months to do. So I can only imagine what that would have been like with Covid around.

I think you probably have to see this as we both do from experience to fully understand why what is happening in care homes right now and not getting any attention out there is concerning.

 

[Healdplace]

The day she finally came out and home was the day City were 3-0 down and had a man sent off at half time away to Tottenham and turned it round and won 4-3 in the second half.

What a homecoming that was for her!

 

[mackenzie]

That is sad to hear. But not too surprising. I feel for you as my mum was in a care home for a few months years ago after months in hospital following a massive stroke. No Covid then thank God. She was only there as I had a tour I could not cancel as I had made committments to publishers and venues and whilst I had agreed to do no further events I still had to have my house converted so she could safely live there given all the equipment that had to be installed given her severe disability - which took a few months to do. So I can only imagine what that would have been like with Covid around.

I think you probably have to see this as we both do from experience to fully understand why what is happening in care homes right now and not getting any attention out there is concerning.

I do feel like she is being "forgotten" but I think that is true of care home residents at any time (especially when they have dementia or similar).
I'll be honest here, my mum and I haven't had the usual mother and daughter relationship (we were estranged for 20 years until 2016, due to her lifetime of mental illness).
Yet I have forgiven much and have tried to rebuild our relationship in recent years.
I last saw her a few months back, and whilst I think she recognized me as someone "important" to her I don't think she actually knew exactly who I was. I don't know if the first lockdown "did" that to her or whether it was something connected to her diminishing mental capabilities/the medication she is on.

Either way, I'm glad she is being protected.

 

[mackenzie]

The day she finally came out and home was the day City were 3-0 down and had a man sent off at half time away to Tottenham and turned it round and won 4-3 in the second half.

What a homecoming that was for her!

I remember it well....was an evening game I think ;-)
Glad you got her home xx

 

[Ric]

Yes, the care homes data needs to be watched.
My mum is in a care home in a 'covid hotspot' (Lower Broughton, Salford).
Booked on 28/12 to see her in 3/1/22 but was advised to ring up and confirm again on 31/12. Rang on 31/12 but was told they were in 'lockdown' as Covid cases had been found again.

Yeah, there's been a Covid outbreak at my Dad's care home this week. Found out today that he's now tested positive too, which was probably inevitable but worrying nonetheless as he's in the later stages of Alzheimer's and pretty vulnerable.

 

[mackenzie]

Yeah, there's been a Covid outbreak at my Dad's care home this week. Found out today that he's now tested positive too, which was probably inevitable but worrying nonetheless as he's in the later stages of Alzheimer's and pretty vulnerable.

Sad to hear that Ric. I think the scariest thing for me, throughout all of this, has been that my mum (although she was diagnosed with Breast cancer in 2017) is otherwise physically strong. Always has been.
She might be 75 but if her years are shortened by Covid then I will feel "cheated."

Hope your dad is comfortable, despite his illness xx

 

[Healdplace]

I echo that too Ric. It will be fine. Hopefully they are much better at handling these things than in the early days of the pandemic when this slipped through the net too much. They will have better protocols now.

But as soon as I saw the way the N Ireland outbreaks had exploded over Christmas I knew this was going to be the real concern this month. The Scottish data just made clear this had to be happening in England too given their rapid increases but nobody out there seemed to be reporting it. And we have no idea of the numbers in England.

From the time I spent in that home with my mum I knew they were just not really going to stop anything like this from spreading like it does in families. Hopefully the vaccines protect enough and all the staff have been vaccinated. Not sure what else can be done but trust the milder nature of this variant translates across all ages.

So far no reason to think it will not and we are in a much better place to help than we were last winter. But hard not to think of those in that position with this going on around them and depending on others to keep them safe. Though may be a blessing if some do not fully understand what is happening. I think many of us would prefer not to know after two years of this.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Sad to hear that Ric. I think the scariest thing for me, throughout all of this, has been that my mum (although she was diagnosed with Breast cancer in 2017) is otherwise physically strong. Always has been.
She might be 75 but if her years are shortened by Covid then I will feel "cheated."

Hope your dad is comfortable, despite his illness xx

Covid has mentally broken my mum. She is still here just about but mentally shot. I watch her deteriorate in front of me. It’s very sad how this has affected so many people who were already vulnerable.

 

[mackenzie]

Covid has mentally broken my mum. She is still here just about but mentally shot. I watch her deteriorate in front of me. It’s very sad how this has affected so many people who were already vulnerable.

It certainly is, and I'm sorry to hear about your mum. I'm sure you will "be there" for her though, and she will always know that. Take care x