Covid 19 Ban on Visitors
One of the many health protection measures taken by the Nova Scotia government has been the ban on visitors for people with disabilities residing in institutions and small options homes. For a reflection on what this ban means read here.
One of our members shares her story of the impact on the ban on visitors for people in institutions and small options homes as a result of Covid 19:
Just arrived home after visiting our daughter’s small option home where she lives with two roommates & around the clock staff. Although we were not able to go in, we had a “deck door visit” with her & staff! This is a tremendously difficult time for those who work in this industry during this time of crisis, given the feelings of isolation, but with the need to provide creative support & care to those with intellectual & mental health challenges day after day! At least we can check in with our daughter even though we cannot physically touch her! I can’t imagine those living in institutions–who are so much more isolated & congregated together with little or no personal space to stay healthy in this time of the Corvid-19 crisis–the history of neglect, abuse & negligence runs too deep. Checks & balances must be put in place for those in such settings. As usual the disability community is left out of all discussions about their health & safety with no plans in place for their future well-being by removing them from the institutions.
I applaud all staff working in the field recognizing how challenging this must be on a daily basis…So feeling helpless & wishing we could do more….when visiting our daughter today, we took baking, treats, appetizers & more as a thank you for the staff for all that they do every single day for our daughter & her room-mates! BH