For some of us, it’s been an opportunity to spend more time with family members who’ve holed up with us at home. It’s been a time to reevaluate our priorities, try new things, catch up on to-do lists and tidy up closets. There’s also been the chance to eat meals together, share hobbies and games or simply take a break from our normal, frantic day-to-day.
We’re all experiencing lifestyle changes, social distancing and more personal restrictions than we could have never imagined. Our children and grandchildren are home from school, which makes juggling work, eldercare and child-care more difficult than ever. Our politicians and healthcare leaders have introduced mandatory closures of shops and malls, recreation and healthcare centres and places of worship. Home deliveries, senior’s hours, and telemedicine have been helpful, but a lot of people are still struggling financially and talking about experiencing delays, shortages and trouble accessing what they need.
Simply put, caring for or arranging for care for an aging relative, as so many of our readers do, is never a simple, worry-free task. It’s tiring and stressful and now, with the threat of COVID-19 in our lives, daily life has really been turned upside down. Especially for family caregivers and our front line and essential workers, the past few months have been filled multiple new challenges to overcome. Testing, wearing masks and protective clothing and hyper-hygiene guidelines are the new normal.
Our hearts go out to the many families who have suffered person- al losses. Thousands of our elders and loved ones are no longer with us, and the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes and retirement residences across the country has and continues to be simply tragic.
As lessons are learned and plans come together for our country to gradually re-open, we urge you all to continue to be vigilant as possible, well into autumn. For all of those who are, or have family members who are vulnerable, nothing much may change as we work together to keep each other safe.
We send our love and wish you strength. Hang tight, social distance, ask for help if you can and keep caring with all you’ve got. We understand and appreciate everything you do and want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Caroline Tapp-McDougall
Editor-In-Chief
