Long-term care residents feeling conflicted with COVID-19 restrictions set to ease

COVID-19 restrictions for long-term care facilities are starting to ease once more on P.E.I., but some residents say they have mixed feelings about doing so while the pandemic situation is still not fully under control.

The facilities have been under heightened restrictions since the Omicron wave hit P.E.I. in December. The province has indicated restrictions will be loosened this week.

Under the current measures, residents are restricted to three designated visitors, in addition to three partners-in-care.

Those who are fully vaccinated and have boosters can attend church with a partner-in-care and go on personal drives, but aren't allowed to visit any community setting.

The restrictions, particularly those on visitors, have taken a mental toll on Carl Mathis.

The 83-year-old has lived at The Mount nursing home in Charlottetown for about three years.

"We're supposed to keep [the list of designated visitors] fairly static, and I can understand this is part of contact tracing," he said. 

"But this means that if I keep my list full of family, then I don't get to see any friends. If I fill it with friends, family can't come. Where's the buy off?"

But Mathis, who hasn't been able to see some of his grandchildren in person for about two years, said he understands why the measures were put in place and that he's a bit nervous to see them gone.

If you're trying to be active in your life, you have to be responsible for everyone else in this building.—Carl Mathis

"I've had two heart attacks. In fact, I came here after the second one. [I'm also] prone to having bronchial infections," he said. "There are people that are around me every day, their immune systems are threatened by whatever. They're not going to be in any good shape if they get COVID. 

"So a community like this is ... we have to put up with it. We have to grin. We have to make jokes about it. Some days you're willing to joke, some days you're not willing to joke."

Balancing act

Lindsay Dickieson, administrator at The Mount, said the situation has been difficult for residents who are facing issues from isolation and loneliness.

"We certainly are seeing that some residents are not wanting to go out as much, even though they are maybe allowed to at this point in time," she said.

"For [residents] who have more than six family members here, they do find it really challenging because they are having to pick and choose who can come in."

Dickieson said balancing those issues while ensuring the safety of the home's vulnerable population is hard, but that long-term care facilities are in a "much more comfortable position" than they were at the beginning of the pandemic.

Most COVID-related deaths in P.E.I. so far have involved long-term care residents.

Mathis said if restrictions are eased he'll certainly take advantage of them, but that he plans to do so with caution.

"With freedom comes responsibility," he said. "If you're trying to be active in your life, you have to be responsible for everyone else in this building. It's hard to do."