Some assisted living residents are getting restless. Why should they be any different from the rest of us?

The Wall Street Journal recently published an opinion piece by a 94-year old resident of an assisted living community in New Jersey, where he wrote that he had mixed feelings about his “benevolent incarceration” during this pandemic. While he understands that the current restrictions are to keep him and the other residents safe, he raises some valid questions.

At his community, no residents have tested positive for COVID-19, while three staff members have already recovered from it. Yet, the residents still can’t eat in the dining room, all meals are delivered to the apartments where they eat three squares each day in isolation. No unaccompanied walks outside, and all activities or gathering places like the gym, pool, movie theater and snack bar are closed. But the community is “clean,” so what is the worry?

He understands that he is particularly vulnerable, but if family members are not allowed in, he is not going to catch the virus from another resident, since they have all tested negative. Valid point. The only worry is from a staff member. 

As the rest of the country “opens up,” often unsafely, I would suspect that there will be more protests from virus-free communities to open up as well, at least for the residents. It can be done more safely than for the general population as a whole. We are all tired of being “incarcerated” in our houses and apartments these past three months, but most of us are not doing it alone (after three months, some may wish they had been). So why should a 94-year old resident feel any different than the rest of us? They don’t.

I think the industry has to figure out a way to safely “open up” for its residents, with the caveat that if the virus reappears within the walls, it will be back to internal lockdown, or at least isolation for some. With a better understanding of the disease, and enhanced protocols in place, this should not be too difficult to do, and would certainly result in happier customers. And happier customers mean more move-ins. I am sure 94-year old Jackson Toby would agree.