Anyone have a parent living in assisted living with COVID?

Dear "Jetcitygirl,"

I'm sorry you are finding yourself in this situation with your mom.

I understand and relate as I'm an only child and caregiver for my mom. When she was 90, I moved her into an ALF. When the lockdown occurred in March in facilities throughout the country, I received a call one month later from an outside mobile doctor's nurse telling me my mom was near death from severe dehydration and COVID. I called the facility immediately and told them to call an ambulance and have her taken to ER which was literally two minutes away.

The doctors ran more tests and said she had a severe UTI as well as bi-lateral pneumonia and was given IV fluids and IV antibiotics. She was all alone as this was pretty much the beginning of the virus/pandemic. Eventually, the floor nurse got a hold of an iPad so we could do Facetime twice while she was there and I could tell her I was aware of what was happening and that I had her hospitalized. She was only there for 4 days and then released to a rehab facility where her oxygen level dropped to the low 70's. Within a day or two they were able to get her level back up into the mid to upper 90's. We then moved her to a new facility into their memory care wing and she had hospice care upon moving in.

I know that you are scared especially with all the unknowns but, I hope it encourages you to know that my mom who is 95 (will be 96 in Feb.) survived. Although, she will never be able to walk again - she's been in her new apartment in MC for 7 months, was just released from hospice care and is doing pretty good under the circumstances.

All we could do was take one issue and one day at a time. Her first issue upon arrival was falling. That has decreased quite a bit although, she has had a couple of them in the last couple months but, nothing compared to back in May/June.

There were about 3 times I thought she would pass away and notified her siblings (all in other states and elderly), contacted the mortuary so they could send me the paperwork and talked with the cemetery where she already has a plot from when my dad died in 2004. We're just pressing forward now and will be doing "window visits" Christmas Eve and Day.

I wish you and your mom nothing but the best and hope you can come to a place of feeling a little more at ease!

There have been many elderly that make it through this virus. End of life wishes is something the hospital must know in order to figure out resources. I wouldn't read too much into that request.
I am sorry you are going through this alone. It is a worrisome and concerning situation for you. I am a praying person so that is what I do. Because there is not much I can do physically, I pray. I am sorry I have nothing else to offer. I wish I did. I will be thinking of you.