Dad wasn’t doing bad before the lockdown. I cut his hair that week. It has now been 2.5 months and I have tried window visits and Skype and neither work for my dad. Talking to my dad on the phone is difficult because many times, they put his hearing aids in with a dead battery, (when they put them in), and it blocks the sound and he cannot hear me at all.

He has declined cognitively and is now speaking in his mother tongue which is German. He told me he is lonely and he said he sometimes cries himself to sleep. Saturday was the first day they took Dad outside as they were having a bbq. They take other residents out.

The home has a 4”fenced yard. I suggested that we visit with 2 metre distancing, as well as wearing a mask. After I requested the visit over the fence, nursing home administrators told me to call the local health unit. I did, the person I spoke to said it sounded very safe but it was up to the home. The director of care told me she called there as well. They have a perfectly good set up there.

I was told by the director of care, “if I do it for you, I will have to do it for everyone!”

I fear we are going to lose him and he will be all alone.

Susan S.