Should we travel to see grandparents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're giving opinions. Many of us have opinions that seeing parents once a year is essential.

Except when we could kill them by visiting.

There aren’t enough quick turnaround tests to tell if everyone is covid free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're giving opinions. Many of us have opinions that seeing parents once a year is essential.

Except when we could kill them by visiting.

There aren’t enough quick turnaround tests to tell if everyone is covid free.

But this is likely to go on for quite some time. No one is likely to travel over the winter. If you want to see your parents at all this year, probably now is the only and safest chance. Seems likely infection rates will be higher in the fall/winter like flu rates are -- especially if schools open.

There isn't a zero-risk option, but there's not a zero-risk option for them to go grocery shopping or do other things they're likely doing already anyway. A lot of the older people I know are actually taking more social risks than the younger people.

There's no zero-risk option seniors aren't going to pass away from something else before you see them again if you aren't able to travel for 2 or more years. There's no zero-risk option you wouldn't die in a plane or car crash on the way to see family even without COVID.

[Anonymous]

I work at an assisted living facility. I like how the residents social distance with their friends and family. The resident will be on one side of their closed patio door and their friends or family will be on the other side. They both have their cellphones and communicate through their phones, but they can see each other, blow kisses etc. One granddaughter recently brought her infant daughter for her grandmother to see. She held the infant up to the window for her grandmother. It was so sweet!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work at an assisted living facility. I like how the residents social distance with their friends and family. The resident will be on one side of their closed patio door and their friends or family will be on the other side. They both have their cellphones and communicate through their phones, but they can see each other, blow kisses etc. One granddaughter recently brought her infant daughter for her grandmother to see. She held the infant up to the window for her grandmother. It was so sweet!

This is so sweet!!!

[Anonymous]

Thank you PP. Thanks for bringing some reasonable, good feelings to the discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're giving opinions. Many of us have opinions that seeing parents once a year is essential.

Except when we could kill them by visiting.

There aren’t enough quick turnaround tests to tell if everyone is covid free.

But this is likely to go on for quite some time. No one is likely to travel over the winter. If you want to see your parents at all this year, probably now is the only and safest chance. Seems likely infection rates will be higher in the fall/winter like flu rates are -- especially if schools open.

There isn't a zero-risk option, but there's not a zero-risk option for them to go grocery shopping or do other things they're likely doing already anyway. A lot of the older people I know are actually taking more social risks than the younger people.

There's no zero-risk option seniors aren't going to pass away from something else before you see them again if you aren't able to travel for 2 or more years. There's no zero-risk option you wouldn't die in a plane or car crash on the way to see family even without COVID.

Unfortunately yes. This country screwed up the response to this pandemic and we are where we are. People need to stop traveling, wear masks, wash hands, and socially distance. It’s not fair to health care professionals are being worked to the bone. It’s horrible that refrigerator trucks need to brought in to deal with all the inconvenient dead bodies. It’s not just you and your extended family at risk; it’s everyone in between.

[Anonymous]

We are in a similar situation. We plan to drive straight through (probably 12 hours). We will stop to use our own bathrooms, no public stops except gas. We will pack our own food, but may do one drive through meal. TBH I’m comfortable with the idea of being on the road, but am more worried about the grandparents, who still go to the store regularly and even ate out at a restaurant last month. I would like to distance during the visit, but spouse wants to have normal family visit, basically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in a similar situation. We plan to drive straight through (probably 12 hours). We will stop to use our own bathrooms, no public stops except gas. We will pack our own food, but may do one drive through meal. TBH I’m comfortable with the idea of being on the road, but am more worried about the grandparents, who still go to the store regularly and even ate out at a restaurant last month. I would like to distance during the visit, but spouse wants to have normal family visit, basically.

+1 Same situation here. We're going to travel to see family, and I think we can do it safely, but I worry more about getting infected from them than infecting them. Unfortunately, I've seen more younger people distancing and taking precautions than older people

[Anonymous]

Does anyone look for where they could get tested at their destination points?

Does anyone think about what happens if you need to seek emergency health care on the road?

Are you prepared to hunker down where you might get sick?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone look for where they could get tested at their destination points?

Does anyone think about what happens if you need to seek emergency health care on the road?

Are you prepared to hunker down where you might get sick?

I don't see a point in getting tested at the destination point, since we're going to have gotten tested ahead of leaving and won't be in contact with anyone anyway once there (besides family).

Just like in literally any other situation, we would seek emergency care if we have an emergency. And yes, we're prepared to be stuck with parents if need be for a while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone look for where they could get tested at their destination points?

Does anyone think about what happens if you need to seek emergency health care on the road?

Are you prepared to hunker down where you might get sick?

If you got sick on the road, presumably you could just drive back home and stay there until you feel better? If there are two drivers. Please stop coming up with hysterical hypotheticals to make the OP feel bad about her choice.