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Staying in touch

A discussion on staying in touch with family members during COVID
The person taking the photograph below described the sense of loss and alienation she experiences when visiting her mother in the care home where she lives.

Her mother, who has dementia, can be seen, but barely, her face lost behind a reflective glare. Before the pandemic, this person would sit with her mother during visits, show her pictures of family members and share memories, as well as talking about familiar items in her room. This connection is not possible at the moment and she feels that the image represents a powerful sense of what has been lost as they are reduced to viewing one another other through a glass divide. She wonders what her mother makes of the experience.

photo of care home patient

Staying in touch with family has been one of the significant challenges of the crisis and continues to be so for many people. Take some time to consider:

  1. How your family has communicated.
  2. The impact this has had on your relationships.

Let’s now look more closely at the experiences of older, more vulnerable family members and their loved ones during the pandemic.

© Tavistock & Portman NHS FT
This article is from the free online

Grief, Loss, and Dying During COVID-19

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