Survey shines spotlight on elderly’s ‘enormous sacrifice’ in lockdown

Locking down the elderly in long-term care homes may have protected them from COVID-19, but their isolation comes with other consequences, and B.C. seniors advocate Isobel Mackenzie wants to find out what they are.

Mackenzie has released a survey so British Columbians can tell their stories about the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on those living in long-term care and assisted living facilities.

Stories, perhaps, like Shirley Turton’s.

For 78-year-old Turton, not being able to see her family or leave her Kelowna-area care home since March has been so emotionally devastating, she now wants to die by assisted suicide.

“She wants to end her life, not because she is in pain or intolerable discomfort, but because she is being held prisoner in her long term care home and has lost her will to live,” Turton’s daughter Jennifer Molgat wrote in a public Facebook post Aug. 13.

Molgat said her mother is physically disabled from side effects of radiation treatment and cannot feed herself, make a call, or use a computer or TV remote. “At one time her only enjoyment in life was feeling the sunshine and fresh air on her face and spending time with her family. And that was enough for her. Despite being trapped in her disabled body, she would often say, ‘I’m so lucky.’”

Now, unable to leave her private room or use an iPad to make video calls and facing strict restrictions on visitors, Turton is becoming “disoriented as she loses touch with the outside world.”

Molgat does not identify the care home, instead calling it an “unyielding institution.” She writes she would like to see strategic planning around COVID-19 keep people in long-term care safe from the virus without “imprisoning” them.

Stories like Turton’s are what seniors advocate Mackenzie is looking for in the survey about COVID-19’s impact on the elderly. 

“One of the many hardships that COVID-19 has brought, one of the most heartbreaking, has been the need to limit those who can visit residents of long-term care and assisted living,” said Mackenzie.

Restrictions on visitors in care homes were introduced March 20, a “necessary,” but “enormous sacrifice” for seniors and families. “It is time for these people to have their voices heard and their stories told.”

Knowing the “profound effect” of these restrictions will help authorities plan for the future, she said.

The survey is called Staying Apart to Stay Safe: the Impact of Visitor Restrictions on Long Term Care and Assisted Living. Residents, visitors, and the general public may respond until Sept. 30.

The survey can be filled out online at www.carehomevisits.ca or by calling 1-877-952-3181 and answering questions by phone or requesting a mailed copy.

It’s not known whether Turton’s request for assisted suicide has been fulfilled.