AP

Nations seek to ease nursing home loneliness yet keep safe

Apr 20, 2020, 5:33 AM | Updated: 5:35 am

FILE - In this April 16, 2020, file photo, Richard Eberhardt walks along a corridor at a nursing ho...

FILE - In this April 16, 2020, file photo, Richard Eberhardt walks along a corridor at a nursing home in Kaysesberg, France. Countries across Europe are struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic with the dilemma of leaving the elderly and others near death in enforced solitude or whether to allow some personal contact with relatives. At nursing homes, everything is done to keep out visitors who might be infected, and family members are almost always banned from coming to see their loved ones. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File)

(AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File)

HALLE, Belgium (AP) — Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes just wanted to do the humane thing.

After so many frail and elderly nursing home residents had been held in seclusion from their loved ones in the first weeks of the lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Wilmes said her government decided to allow one visitor — in good health — per person.

“People can die of loneliness,” Wilmes told parliament on Thursday. “Sustained isolation has consequences.”

She soon reaped a whirlwind of criticism amid cries it would endanger lives, overburden the staff and use already short supplies of protective equipment for visitors instead of health care workers.

“Literally opening the doors also means leaving them wide open for the virus. It means there will be more infections and and that more vulnerable elderly will die,” according to the Icaro care organization.

Her initiative has been repealed in most of the country and new meetings have been called on the issue.

Belgium is hardly alone in struggling with the emotional and ethical issue of whether to soften rigorous rules amid the overwhelming chaos in hospitals and nursing homes.

In the Netherlands, Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge called it a “devil’s dilemma.”

As the virus raced through Europe, the hardest-hit countries — Italy, Spain, Britain, France — banned all nursing home visits to protect the vulnerable elderly, who were dying by the thousands from the coronavirus. From Belgium to Turkey, several other countries did the same.

But as the confinement drags on, some are rethinking that. In recent days, France, Britain and Belgium have proposed relaxing the rules to ease the pain of families, and their locked-away loved ones.

In the U.S., federal government guidelines recommend halting all visits except during end-of-life and other extraordinary situations, when visitors should be equipped with personal protective gear. The federal agency that regulates nursing homes urges them to designate separate facilities to keep COVID-19 residents away from those who have tested negative.

Berlin allows nursing home patients to receive one visitor for up to one hour a day, and doesn’t restrict visits to palliative care facilities for those nearing the end. South Africa has begun to take precautionary measures at nursing homes, but in most of Africa — the world’s youngest continent, with a median age of just 19.7 years — concerns about aging populations have not loomed as large as they have in Europe, the world’s oldest continent.

Yet the question of dying alone doesn’t only affect the elderly.

“Ismael, dying aged 13 without a parent at his bedside, made me weep,” U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in describing the death of one of the country’s youngest COVID-19 victims last month.

The issue has struck a chord, since few fears in life are more universal than being alone as one dies.

Often, it is not just the lack of a hug or a smile from a grandchild; it’s knowing that a spouse or parent may be dying without anyone at their bedside.

Pope Francis last week called on the world to pray “for those who are isolated in care homes for the elderly. They are afraid, afraid of dying alone.”

The isolation might last through 2020, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“Without a vaccine, contacts with the elderly must be restricted as much as possible. I realize it is difficult and that loneliness weighs heavy. But it’s about survival,” she said.

France is trying to find a middle ground.

Last week French President Emmanuel Macron ordered an exception to one of the world’s strictest lockdowns to allow families “to see the sick at the end of their lives, to be able to bid them adieu.” And on Monday, France will start allowing two family members to visit any loved ones in nursing homes, if adequate protection is ensured.

Sophie Santandrea of private French nursing home group Synerpa was cautious about allowing visits, saying “it will depend on the protocols that are put in place, and whether they are very clear and sufficient” to protect everyone from exposure to the virus from visitors.

Marc Bourquin of the Hospital Federation of France, which oversees public nursing homes, said there needed to be a way for all elderly to have a visitor, especially if the situation lasts for months.

“When workers see that a person is losing the taste for life because they can’t see their families, we have to find a way to progressively be able to allow a minimum of contact,” Bourquin said. “The risk of virus will not disappear as long as there is no vaccine. We cannot condemn these people to never see their loved ones again.”

Staff safety also was raised in Britain amid shortages of personal protective equipment, or PPE.

“As of this moment, I am very worried that we don’t have enough PPE for staff to protect themselves, let alone facilitate giving it to relatives to be able to see their loved ones during the end-of-life care,” said Donna Kinnair, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing.

It leaves governments, as well as families, in a bind.

“Everybody saw how inhuman the current situation is,” said Wilmes, the Belgian leader. “We have to do something about it.”

—-

Charlton reported from Paris. Contributors include Jill Lawless in London, Mike Corder in The Hague, Matthew Perrone in Washington and Cara Anna in Johannesburg.

___

Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

 

 

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Today’s Top Stories

AP

close up of a peleton bike pictured, a recall has been issued for some...

Associated Press

Peloton recalling more than 2M exercise bikes because the seat post assembly can break during use

The recall includes approximately 2.2 million of the Peloton Bikes Model PL01. The bikes were sold from January 2018 through May 2023 for about $1,400.

11 months ago

Immigration Asylum Family Reunification Explainer....

JULIE WATSON Associated Press

US will let in at least 100,000 Latin Americans to reunite with families

President Joe Biden's administration has promised to offer more legal options for Latin American migrants to come to the United States to be reunited with their families.

11 months ago

two border patrol agents pictured, agents are dealing with a surge as title 42 reaches its expirati...

Associated Press

Title 42 has ended. Here’s what it did, and how US immigration policy is changing

The end of Title 42's use has raised questions about what will happen with migration preparing for an increase in migrants.

11 months ago

Rumman Chowdhury is pictured, she is the coordinator for the mass AI hacking exercise...

Associated Press

Hackers aim to find flaws in AI – with White House help

No sooner did ChatGPT get unleashed than hackers started “jailbreaking” the artificial intelligence chatbot – trying to override its safeguards so it could blurt out something unhinged or obscene. But now its maker, OpenAI, and other major AI providers such as Google and Microsoft, are coordinating with the Biden administration to let thousands of hackers […]

11 months ago

Parents of Ema Kobiljski, 13, mourn during the funeral procession at the central cemetery in Belgra...

JOVANA GEC Associated Press

Burials held in Serbia for some victims of mass shootings

Funerals are taking place in Serbia for some of the victims of two mass shootings that happened in just two days, leaving 17 people dead and 21 wounded, many of them children.

11 months ago

interest rate...

DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer

Europe’s inflation inches up ahead of interest rate decision

Europe's painful inflation has inched higher, extending the squeeze on households and keeping pressure on the European Central Bank to unleash what could be another large interest rate increase.

11 months ago

Sponsored Articles

close up of rose marvel saliva blooms in purple...

Shannon Cavalero

Drought Tolerant Perennials for Utah

The best drought tolerant plants for Utah can handle high elevations, alkaline soils, excessive exposure to wind, and use of secondary water.

Group of cheerful team members high fiving each other...

Visit Bear Lake

How To Plan a Business Retreat in Bear Lake This Spring

Are you wondering how to plan a business retreat this spring? Read our sample itinerary to plan a team getaway to Bear Lake.

Cheerful young woman writing an assignment while sitting at desk between two classmates during clas...

BYU EMBA at the Marriott School of Business

Hear it Firsthand: 6 Students Share Their Executive MBA Experience at BYU’s Marriott School of Business

The Executive MBA program at BYU offers great opportunities. Hear experiences straight from students enrolled in the program.

Skier being towed by a rider on a horse. Skijoring....

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking for a New Winter Activity? Try Skijoring in Bear Lake

Skijoring is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, dog, animal, or motor vehicle. The driver leads the skiers through an obstacle course over jumps, hoops, and gates.

Banner with Cervical Cancer Awareness Realistic Ribbon...

Intermountain Health

Five Common Causes of Cervical Cancer – and What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness month and cancer experts at Intermountain Health are working to educate women about cervical cancer.

Kid holding a cisco fish at winterfest...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get Ready for Fun at the 2023 Bear Lake Monster Winterfest

The Bear Lake Monster Winterfest is an annual weekend event jam-packed full of fun activities the whole family can enjoy.

Nations seek to ease nursing home loneliness yet keep safe