Manor Living

Manor Living
To the Editor:
Let me tell you about our situation. 
I live in the Weston County Manor. I am here due to physical issues, not mental/old age. We have been in lockdown since the beginning of March. I am limited to a power chair, but that gives me the access to leave the Manor every day. I would drive two miles, sometimes more in my power chair. Since I’ve been locked up my limitations are getting worse. I have a hard time driving my power chair due to my decline, which in turn makes this lockdown a lot harder.  
I see other people looking through the window at their loved ones communicating by phone. A resident was talking to his son. He told his son, “All I want is to give you a hug.” I feel like some of these residents don’t understand why their families are not coming to see them. They are giving up on life, they are dying. Not dying from the COVID, but perhaps from a broken heart.
What is worse? Keeping family and friends away from having interactions that the human body/mind needs or taking the chance and catching COVID. Easy. I would take my chances if that means seeing my family one more time. 
I used to work in a hospital. How sad is that, making somebody pay for something they cannot control. I wish whoever made these guidelines/regulations should have to go through the same thing we are doing now —feeling alone in a room and we can’t do anything but wait. Eight months of my life has been taken away from me. I’ve missed so much, St. Patty’s Day, Mother’s and Father’s Day, Easter, county fair, going to high school games. This list goes on. We have been through more fatal pandemics like the Spanish Flu, Bird Flu, Scarlet Fever, etc. With these pandemics there were hardly any guidelines or regulations that were this strict or went on for this long. Wouldn’t you say this has gone too far?
I have a need. My need is to see my family. I went to our I.D. group and explained that my family follows the guidelines the state has out and I was willing to quarantine for the 14 days. The I.D. group told me that if I leave this building I would no longer have my room, I would be kicked out. I think that is BS. Not that I want to tell you about my personal life, but I have a son that was in prison. He did his time and got out. I haven’t done anything wrong and I feel like I am in prison. I will not take up much more of your time. Thank you for listening to me.
 
— Sincerely, Gerry Clark
 
Editor’s Note: This has been edited for content