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Dad was in a senior living complex after a couple of falls, rehab, hospitalizations and a pacemaker put in. He will be 91 in a week. We were told he can not go home without 24 hr care as my mother would not be able to care for him alone. He has Alzheimer's and some balance issues but can get up and down on his own with observation. I made the decision to move in with as long as he went to Adult Day care 3 times a week so I got a break and my sisters would give me monthly breaks of 4 days in a row. Well two weeks after we brought him home everything shut down because of the virus. I've now been with them without breaks since March 10. Day care is now reopening with limited amount of people. My sister is concerned about him being exposed to others already. I am too, but need the break so bad. We have had no one in the house, including relatives. The place he would be going is part of a senior complex that has all levels of care and no virus cases have taken place at the facility at all during this. I'm sure they will be very careful but a lot of the people taking their loved ones there will be going back to work and be exposed to many others so that's the concern. Do we take the chance or not?

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We can't wrap out most vulnerable citizens in bubble wrap or put them in stasis until everything returns to normal so as with everything in life we need to weigh the pros and cons. I think that an answer depends on the amount of community spread in your area and whether you get a sense that people living there are taking reasonable precautions - I'd want to see lots of social distancing and masks when I'm out in the community. The adult day care where my sister works has had a huge drop in participants, so if that is also the case in your region it would help to reduce risk.
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My mother returned to ADC 4 weeks ago. We had very low confirmed cases in our area and the cleaning, health checks and social distancing measures were good. Mom wasn't doing well without outside activities and I decided ADC had less risk than allowing various visitors (taking more CV risky interactions) into our home.

Over the weekend, the local CV counts went up badly with more confirmed cases ad hospital admissions in one week than the previous 3 months. My rural county went from 23 confirmed cases in 3 months and zero active cases 10 days ago to 22 active current cases confirmed in the last 6 days. Most have already been tracked to the protesters - local protesters who met with the out of town agitators and brought this mess into our community. Since the cases are still mostly in the younger crowd who doesn't interact with the seniors at ADC, Mom is still attending ADC but I'm watching CV community stats carefully.
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I think mental health has to count for something.  People were not meant to live alone.  I feel so sorry for people isolated.  Can he wear a mask?
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broncomeemaw, my MIL (85, in LTC) just survived a bout with CV. She does not have any underlying conditions. She was quite sick for 4 weeks but came back to her full pre-CV self. We still have not been with her physically since mid March. I agree that the isolation is detrimental. If your dad doesn't have any underlying conditions, like diabetes, respiratory issues, immunity issues, then if it were me, I'd have him return to ADC. Hopefully he can keep a mask on, but even if he doesn't the staff will and they are usually the weak link in the spreading chain.
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I rather doubt that anyone with dementia will be able to constantly wear a mask for hours, and since many day cares include meals that would be an impossibility. As for staff being the weak link - that may be true in locked down facilities but I don't think it is necessarily true in a day care setting, participants are only as safe and isolated from the virus as their caregivers are and there is really no way to know what other families are doing.
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Would it be safer for your sisters to now fulfill their commitments to give you those much needed breaks: "Monthly breaks, four days in a row"
How can you plan to do this safely?

Are the sisters supposed to come to his home? Then do that, practicing strict Covid precautions.

Hope you get a break soon.
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I highly doubt any Adult Day Care will open soon, and even if it does, I wouldn't risk it. This second wave is worse than the first one and happening all at once.
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Our local Supportive Day program re-opened this week with half days including lunch.  They expanded the are they are using in the Senior Center to the entire 2nd floor and no one else is allowed into that area.  Gives them more than 2x the space they had before.  ADH has not yet re-opened and they are supporting their attendees with calls for now,  I don't think there locations have the room available to expand beyond the spaces they already occupy.
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Have your sisters make sure to practice good technique for two weeks themselves unless they have been doing so all ready...when that is complete , now or in 2 weeks, they need to give you a break...if possible perhaps switch places with you going to their place and them moving into yours so that dad is undisturbed..you should have a week off completely with no responsibilities to either parent, then if adc is a risk the sisters can provide that respite as well as giving you your four straight days , perhaps this should even be lengthened to also give another two days off a month..caregiving is stressful. Personally, with this wave , unless you are in an area without cases, I wouldn’t take the chance.
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My parents live across the street from my husband and I. We take all the precautions we can, and assist and take care of my parents. I think your sisters coming back in is your best option. I bought some shields for my parents to wear if we have to have a maintenance worker come in or in my moms case the Hospice nurse. On Amazon some are called splash shields and work great. We had a second hospital bed delivered for my dad yesterday, he was under the weather for a few days and has been really weak. I wore a mask and the shield while they set the bed up.
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Imho, I would not chance your LO with Alzheimer's to go to adult day care during the Novel Coronavirus. In many areas, it just ratcheted up.
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Hi...
I just watched a 35 yo young man tell his Journey with Covid on utube..omg! This virus shuts off breathing, walking, causes painful coughing even while your in recovery!!! He couldn't handle the pain in his lungs! He begged to go back to hospital.... after a O2 rate of 97%. Considering him well

Nothing has changed since march.
Virus is still on the hunt. Still killing.
This man stayed home 90 days, went to get take out food with mask on. Porch service was open.
He caught virus!!!! Even tho food was in trunk.. .

.my gawd don't do it. Plz & one thing to consider.
If your dad gets virus, are you gonna be able to live with that??
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