I’m getting ready to move my mom to a care center. This is so stressful. I need to get her a Covid test. I’m nervous she will freak out with the procedure. I would appreciate any thoughts on preparing her or how to handle this situation. Thank you.
Please don’t stress yourself out over this. You have too many important things to be thinking about to worry about anything more!
Neither of the lab read tests should distress your mom. I’ve had both, the Rutgers “spit test” AND the nasal swab test.
If given a choice of either, I’d choose the nasal swab test. Just tell your mom that the nurse needs to check the secretions in her nose, and she’ll be taking a sample from each nostril, using a q-tip.
The swab test originally caused some discomfort because it was felt that the secretions in the back of the nasal cavity might be needed to yield a satisfactory sample, but that’s no longer done. Just the nose is swabbed.
The spit test involves spitting into a small vial, until the saliva reaches a line that will be read by a technician. My husband had trouble reaching the line. That one is kind of a nuisance but NOT at all uncomfortable.
If you stay calm and explain quietly what’s happening, she’s likely to be fine.
As funkygrandma mentioned there are different kinds of tests so make sure you clarify whether she needs the PCR or a rapid test will do. If you are willing it might be helpful if you get a test too and have yours first so she sees exactly what it entails.
Does she have any short-term memory issues? If so I'm not certain she can be "prepared" if she can't retain the info. I think a lot will depend on the person(s) giving the test. You can prepare them by discretely informing them of your mom's condition and recommending best approach. I'm sure she won't be their first 90-yr old... Hoping it all goes smoothly!
Thank you. Yes she has short term memory. Sometimes just minutes. But she can remember everything from a long time ago. Anger is popping up so I get nervous she will react in a bad way.
I just had a Covid test yesterday as I am having foot surgery on Monday, and I was not looking forward to it, as my son had had one last year and said they put the swab up what felt like into his brain, and that it hurt. So needless to say, I was a bit nervous about getting one. So when I got there, I shared my concerns with the girls doing the test, and was reassured that it's not done like that any more. And I'm happy to report that it's not. They just gently inserted a swab into each nostril and rubbed it around. All it did was tickle some. So hopefully your mom will receive that type of Covid test, and not the old way. Good luck.
Neither of the lab read tests should distress your mom. I’ve had both, the Rutgers “spit test” AND the nasal swab test.
If given a choice of either, I’d choose the nasal swab test. Just tell your mom that the nurse needs to check the secretions in her nose, and she’ll be taking a sample from each nostril, using a q-tip.
The swab test originally caused some discomfort because it was felt that the secretions in the back of the nasal cavity might be needed to yield a satisfactory sample, but that’s no longer done. Just the nose is swabbed.
The spit test involves spitting into a small vial, until the saliva reaches a line that will be read by a technician. My husband had trouble reaching the line. That one is kind of a nuisance but NOT at all uncomfortable.
If you stay calm and explain quietly what’s happening, she’s likely to be fine.
Hope everything goes well!
So when I got there, I shared my concerns with the girls doing the test, and was reassured that it's not done like that any more. And I'm happy to report that it's not. They just gently inserted a swab into each nostril and rubbed it around. All it did was tickle some. So hopefully your mom will receive that type of Covid test, and not the old way. Good luck.