CAREGIVERS FOR THE SPIRIT
“We are all vulnerable and afraid, including me. None of us is exempt from this vulnerability, even those with professional name tags.”
REV. JOANNE LAURENCE: Connection in Isolation
When I called the family of a new hospice patient, a woman dying of end stage dementia, I spoke with her daughter, Rosie. I told her I planned to visit her mother in the assisted living facility.
“That means the world to me. That makes my day,” she said, thanking me. Family were restricted from visiting the facility due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rosie’s mother was declining rapidly, and she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to be with her through her dying process.
The truth is, she likely won’t. We expect the virus to outlive her mother’s prognosis.
I could hear her choke up as she expressed her vulnerability to me. Rosie is one of thousands of family members in the U.S. who are currently separated from their loved ones. These visiting restrictions are in place to attempt to keep people safe.
I agree with them wholeheartedly, but I’m also
