It is hard enough to quarantine in the comfort of one’s own home. But while some South Carolinians are comforted as they are surrounded by their families in this stressful time, others are not so lucky.
The elderly are the population that is at the highest risk to contract COVID-19. This is partly due to the fact that many have underlying health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, or lung impairments. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, South Carolina currently has 16,993 residents in nursing facilities.
The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) recently issued an immediate restriction on visitation to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The only exception to this policy is for end-of-life situations. This means that almost 17,000 South Carolina seniors are bound for an undetermined amount of time, devoid of any comfort from their visiting family members.
Representative Wendell Gilliard of District 111 suggested a solution to ease the minds of those in senior living facilities and their family members. In a letter to the director of DHEC, Rep. Gilliard proposed the implementation of e-visitations in these facilities.
“In an orderly fashion governed by each facility,” wrote Rep Gilliard, “I am asking that you require all nursing homes and senior living facilities to begin using smart phones or a form of E-conferencing to allow family members the capability to visually see their loved ones and speak with them. This change would help reduce some of the concerns that the family members are having about their love ones!”
Per ABC News 4, Rep. Gilliard has yet to hear back from DHEC. Could this be because the department finds e-visitations too difficult to implement? Or rather because of the department’s lack of interest in alleviating the emotional pain experienced by one of South Carolina’s most vulnerable populations? It seems that Rep. Gilliard understands the importance of families remaining connected through this health crisis. We encourage DHEC to do the same.