CareManagement August/September 2020

Page 7

C ASE MANA G E R I N S I GH T S

COVID-19 and the Hidden Enemy Sue Bowers, RN-BC, BSN, CCM

There is evidence that links loneliness and social isolation to depression. JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) reports that “The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and efforts to contain it, represent a unique threat, and we must recognize the pandemic that will quickly follow it—that of mental and behavioral illness—and implement the steps needed to mitigate it.”

I

am not an expert on COVID-19, the elderly, or mental health. I am an expert on what COVID-19 has done to my mom. As a daughter and nurse case manager, my role is as an advocate to keep my mom safe and healthy. The purpose of this article is to

provide a personal perspective in caring for an aging parent and the impact on mental health during a pandemic. As the coronavirus made its way to the United States in March 2020, my 87-year-old mother was a vibrant, healthy, and independent woman. She

The MCG Guide to Efficient Care Coordination & Patient Throughput Helping healthcare workers manage real-time demand and capacity at every service level.

cooked, cleaned, shopped, attended church, drove, ran errands, had her hair and nails done, and indulged in other freedoms. She was in control. On March 16, 2020, a Shelterin-Place order was mandated in continues on page 31

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August/September 2020 CareManagement 7


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