Covid and visiting elderly people

[Anonymous]

And, don’t send your kids to school sick and infect the school.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP sorry you got so much attack when you are trying to do the right thing
I would check with the facility to ask for their recommendation. I am sure they have a policy for staff and visitors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMFG

NO.

Your kids should NOT be doing volunteering with the elderly right now.

Keep them home.

THIS IS NOT EVEN A QUESTION.

Anyone who tells you you should not let your "anxiety" stop you from doing the volunteering is an idiot.

People can be contagious for 14 days and even longer. Even up to 21 days. And so all of you who AREN'T covid positive yet could catch this from the covid positive ones for 14 days.

100% this

OP how is this a ????

Seriously shame on you!

I am so tired of these posts. Americans are idiots.

Meaning, you and your third kid should not be around old people until 14 days after the covid positive house members reach the 14 day mark. That's 28 days from when they first tested positive.

PLEASE CANCEL THESE VOLUNTEER COMMITMENTS.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps you could contact the Senior Citizens Home in your community and ask them what their protocol is when someone should visit again after having covid. I am going to assume that they have a pretty defined schedule/time frame they can share with you to keep seniors safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So tired of selfish people. How do you think it’s ok to expose anyone? You wait till everyone tests negative and to be on the safe side wait another week. I have a serious chronic illness. Your little Covid can have me hospitalized for weeks.

I asked how long to wait. Why couldn't you answer "a week after the last person tests negative". That would be an answer to my question. You don't have any idea of what kind of timelines I was considering so yelling at me that I am selfish is ridiculous.

I'm asking because quality of life matters, and my kids do things that contribute to the quality of life of the residents they help. People look forward to their visits. So, obviously, I want to be cautious, but equally obviously I am aware safety is a high priority, so I am looking to find out what's the right time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMFG

NO.

Your kids should NOT be doing volunteering with the elderly right now.

Keep them home.

THIS IS NOT EVEN A QUESTION.

Anyone who tells you you should not let your "anxiety" stop you from doing the volunteering is an idiot.

People can be contagious for 14 days and even longer. Even up to 21 days. And so all of you who AREN'T covid positive yet could catch this from the covid positive ones for 14 days.

100% this

OP how is this a ????

Seriously shame on you!

I am so tired of these posts. Americans are idiots.

Meaning, you and your third kid should not be around old people until 14 days after the covid positive house members reach the 14 day mark. That's 28 days from when they first tested positive.

PLEASE CANCEL THESE VOLUNTEER COMMITMENTS.

Why would I need to cancel until 28 days given that I was the first person to get it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to start by saying that I know anxiety is playing a role in this. Our family has had a string of losses, starting during covid, and I worry about germs more than most. So, don't post telling me I might have anxiety. I DEFINITELY have anxiety, and I'm getting help, but that help is not working at a pace that it will help me make this decision.

We have covid. We're a family of 4, me and 3 kids. I got sick on Tuesday, and tested positive. Kid one got sick Thursday, Kid two got sick Friday. Kid three, who never gets sick, has predictably not gotten sick. In the past he has tested positive for covid but has never had symptoms, but this time he is neither testing positive or symptomatic.

Kids two and three do regular service with the elderly, at two different places. They both have things that are special they planned for the holiday with "their" elderly friends. They are sad at the thought of missing these things.

When will it be safe for them to go back? I know the guidance for school is 24 hours after the fever is gone, and symptoms are improving, but elderly are more vulnerable.

Personally, I'd wait until fever gone for 24 hours+, symptoms gone and 10-12 days out, and I'd want a negative test (rapid). These are elderly people---you are right to not want to infect them.
But then again, that is the same thing I would do for my own elderly relatives (and in reality most people)---until I'm certain I'm not contagious, I'm not going to make others ill (even healthy kids or 30 year olds).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, not everyone in an home for the elderly is going to die "soon." Where my mid- and early-80s parents live, is a 103 year old woman who is sharp as a tack. Many 90+ year-olds live their as well.

And OPs children should not infect a single elderly person with covid, least they hasten their death in any way, shape, or form.

+1000

People have gone mad and lack empathy for others! Seriously, if you are sick/could be contagious with any illness, you don't go around exposing others, especially elderly people! While a 30 yo should recover from covid (but might have trouble and ongoing health issues from it), covid can literally kill an elderly person, just like the flu and RSV and any other serious illness. So you don't purposely expose others if you could be contagious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, not everyone in an home for the elderly is going to die "soon." Where my mid- and early-80s parents live, is a 103 year old woman who is sharp as a tack. Many 90+ year-olds live their as well.

And OPs children should not infect a single elderly person with covid, least they hasten their death in any way, shape, or form.

I mean, I fully support isolating the elderly. But you're clearly coming down with dementia if you think anyone older than 80 can be "sharp as a tack." I wouldn't even say that about most 60 year olds I've met.

Well I have met 80/90 yo who are still mentally all there, sure a bit slower than at 60, but still healthy, live, vibrant and their minds work extremely well. It's genetics and them taking care of themselves.
Just because they are elderly doesn't mean you should attempt to off them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tired of selfish people. How do you think it’s ok to expose anyone? You wait till everyone tests negative and to be on the safe side wait another week. I have a serious chronic illness. Your little Covid can have me hospitalized for weeks.

I asked how long to wait. Why couldn't you answer "a week after the last person tests negative". That would be an answer to my question. You don't have any idea of what kind of timelines I was considering so yelling at me that I am selfish is ridiculous.

I'm asking because quality of life matters, and my kids do things that contribute to the quality of life of the residents they help. People look forward to their visits. So, obviously, I want to be cautious, but equally obviously I am aware safety is a high priority, so I am looking to find out what's the right time.

Sure quality of life matters, but 99.999% of the elderly would prefer to still be alive versus having a holiday hour celebration with a volunteer and getting sick.

[Anonymous]

I think you need a negative covid test to know they are no longer shedding. I would also alert the elderly person and assuming the person has full cognitive capacity, see what guidelines the person wants-symptom free/negative covid test/wear mask and gloves as precaution. We barely get symptoms with Covid, but so many elderly really struggle with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So tired of selfish people. How do you think it’s ok to expose anyone? You wait till everyone tests negative and to be on the safe side wait another week. I have a serious chronic illness. Your little Covid can have me hospitalized for weeks.

+100000M it can kill some of us.

[Anonymous]

OP, you did a good job setting up your post but it STILL went off the rails. Typical DCUM.

That said you need to check whatever the CDC recommends for high risk situations right now. Then call the facility and see what their recommendation is. Then do whichever is more strict.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you need a negative covid test to know they are no longer shedding. I would also alert the elderly person and assuming the person has full cognitive capacity, see what guidelines the person wants-symptom free/negative covid test/wear mask and gloves as precaution. We barely get symptoms with Covid, but so many elderly really struggle with it.

We did/will test before the kids go back to work and school, and have been testing the kid who stayed healthy every day. But my feeling is that the requirements for seeing their elder friends should be higher.

Both facilities are giving the same guidelines that someone posted above for medical personnel, but I feel like those are too short for more recreational visitors.

One facility is memory care, and at the other there are also cognitive issues so asking residents isn't an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tired of selfish people. How do you think it’s ok to expose anyone? You wait till everyone tests negative and to be on the safe side wait another week. I have a serious chronic illness. Your little Covid can have me hospitalized for weeks.

I asked how long to wait. Why couldn't you answer "a week after the last person tests negative". That would be an answer to my question. You don't have any idea of what kind of timelines I was considering so yelling at me that I am selfish is ridiculous.

I'm asking because quality of life matters, and my kids do things that contribute to the quality of life of the residents they help. People look forward to their visits. So, obviously, I want to be cautious, but equally obviously I am aware safety is a high priority, so I am looking to find out what's the right time.

Sure quality of life matters, but 99.999% of the elderly would prefer to still be alive versus having a holiday hour celebration with a volunteer and getting sick.

I love how you quote that like it's a fact you picked up in a research study. In reality a research study would have to be unrealistically huge to report that many significant digits.

Many elderly people choose to take risks every day to see people who are important to them, or to do things that are important to them. I'm asking at what point does the risk become low, because it will never be zero, but a zero exposure risk life would not be worth living to many people. Is that 10 days after getting the virus, plus a negative test? 2 weeks?