Planning for Life

By Harry S. Margolis

With seniors being most vulnerable to COVID-19 and many living in the concentrated clusters of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, many are taking drastic measures to bar visitors who might bring in the coronavirus. This has been difficult for many residents and their families. Here is part of an email we received from one Massachusetts grandson about his grandmother:

My family received a call yesterday from my grandmother's nursing facility which is a Wingate. That call stated that they will no longer be allowing any visitors in to visit patients of the facility and that they will be going on a week to week basis of deciding whether to lift the isolation of the entire facility or not.

By Harry S. Margolis

An op-ed article in The New York Times highlights how the assisted living industry in part profit from a mirage about the realities of aging. No one wants to go to a nursing home, which are seen a depressing dumping ground for ailing or demented seniors who have no other choice. Many seniors and their families choose assisted living as a much preferred option.

For those seniors who are healthy, assisted living can be wonderful. They provide meals, community, activities, and some assistance with the activities of daily living. Living in assisted living is often a much better alternative to an isolated existence in a single-family house.