Letter to the Editor: Living in a lockdown state

To the Editor:

I am sure that many people had read the Letter to the Editor in the recent issue of The Standard. I did too, and I thought it may be worthwhile to let everyone know the perspective of someone who is living in this lockdown state and how it really is affecting an actual resident of an assisted living facility. Likewise, the same as a nursing home, hospital, etc.

What do the Board of Public Health, CDC and state leaders think they are accomplishing by having facilities like these on lockdown? I have been a tenant at Southcrest Assisted Living in Waukon since mid-February. When I moved in, we as residents were playing cards, Bingo, listening to local bands, singing, laughing and having fun. Unfortunately, not anymore!

Now people are confined to rooms as a norm, and completely confined to their rooms for two weeks just because they had a doctor’s appointment, haircut, or went to a family picnic. Although things are slowly starting to come back around, the outside actions of other people affect us greatly on the inside.

We, the elderly population, have families just like anyone else, and we need to spend time with our loved ones. Our families are just as important to us as yours are to you; and visits from our family members are very important to us, as yours are to you. We have all missed Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, the 4th of July, etc. How many more?

I would like to have anyone from the Department of Public Health, CDC, or state leaders, etc. get a call from a grandchild or great-grandchild, and only be able to tell them you love them, but they can’t come to see you time after time. Children don’t understand why any of this is happening. They just know that they can’t go see their grandma or grandpa, and it’s not right.

Visits like these are very important to the elderly, their kids, and their entire family. You wake up in the morning, knowing that it’s another day without any company again. Some of us are having a hard time with this, some more than others. It’s not only hurting our hearts, but our emotional state of mind as well.

We went from playing cards, listing to music, playing Bingo, laughing and coffee time to almost nothing. No more going for a drive or going fishing or anything, without consequences of having to be in isolation upon return. They call these our “golden years”, but we don’t. Think of all the things you do, there must be a way we can enjoy them too.

We think it’s about time for the public leaders and government to wake up! You have no idea how 14 days on quarantine make you feel, and it’s not good for anybody.

We are very fortunate to have all the senior living facilities here in northeast Iowa like Southcrest, Southridge, Northgate, Good Sam, Oneota, Aase Haugen, Thornton Manor and many more. I hope that all these facilities have staff like ours here at Southcrest. We have the best you could pray for! We want to thank each and every one of you, our great staff. You are great! We all love you and thank you. We also thank the Board of Public Health, CDC and state leaders, but we need to change some things to make it even better!

Marlin Cooper
aka “Little Coop”
Waukon