The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has informed us that more Senior citizens committed suicide last year than they have recorded since 1991.   I am not very surprised by these numbers after listening to people who deal with Senior citizens right here in Michigan.

Yesterday, when I reported these sad numbers, one of my listeners who takes care of the elderly daily wrote:

“People are created to be in community.  We all decline in isolation.

In the past 20 months, the elderly population,  particularly those residing in the long term care settings - nursing home and assisted living facilities - have experienced severe isolation from their families and from their friends who live down the hall.  They were not allowed to dine with others or participate in activities.  They were not allowed out of their rooms at all.

For some, even staff members who sparingly came in to provide care, were gowned, masked, shielded, gloved and unrecognizable to most residents.

When limited visitation was "granted, " it was immediately apparent the devastating decline of the elderly.  They lost significant weight, their mentation declined rapidly, they lost interest in things they once enjoyed.”  

I have heard this story over and over again.  When Whitmer issued an executive order that demanded isolation for these Senior citizens there should have been someone who advocated for these seniors.  People will state that Whitmer was only trying to keep Covid out of these homes.  I could accept that if Whitmer did not also issue an executive order to send Covid infected residents back into their nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

It appears no one in her administration considered the consequences of long-term isolation in these seniors and we are starting to see some of the negative consequences.

What kind of society are we becoming?

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