Long term repercussions from Covid-19 what will they be?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by someone123

I wonder what impact this will have on old folks' homes. The ones I've seen were pretty depressing to begin with. It doesn't seem great socially to cloister elderly people away from the rest of society during normal times and then in times like this or even just in bad flu seasons the care comes become a nightmare.

Can we move to a model that's more like fostering but for elderly, where some of them live with aides, or even family members who are given more funding to make things easier? I guess it's challenging since so many have special needs (up to and including people who are completely out of it and will burn a house down, etc.). The ones who don't mostly don't need to live in care homes to begin with.

Not practical for many two income households. We also know healthcare support workers working at multiple care homes helped spread this virus, would you want that happening as they went to multiple family's homes?

[misher]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Not practical for many two income households. We also know healthcare support workers working at multiple care homes helped spread this virus, would you want that happening as they went to multiple family's homes?

Agreed with whatnext. Seniorcare workers are the #1 biggest danger right now.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

I wonder what the impact on sports leagues will be.

I was wondering that myself. Will there be a surge in attendances by people who miss their sport and getting out or will the continuation of falling attendance because the viewing experience is so good at home continue.

Factor in a possible lack of desire to be in close proximity to a large amount of people and it could be feast or famine for sports in the future, I don't know which. But the way so many people are ignoring social distancing things might go back to normal. Who knows!

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by elly63

I was wondering that myself. Will there be a surge in attendances by people who miss their sport and getting out or will the continuation of falling attendance because the viewing experience is so good at home continue.

Factor in a possible lack of desire to be in close proximity to a large amount of people and it could be feast or famine for sports in the future, I don't know which. But the way so many people are ignoring social distancing things might go back to normal. Who knows!

I wouldn't worry about pro-sports teams, they have lucrative broadcast deals. Worry more about your local symphony, theatre company, etc. They will be hit far harder by any long term trend to stay away from public gatherings.

[SteelTown]

Once this pandemic is eventually over, I can see a lot of employers continuing to keep their employees working from home. Though they better change the rules and start paying for my internet and cell phone bill. I'm sure all of these zoom video conferencing I've been having is eating up my data.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Once this pandemic is eventually over, I can see a lot of employers continuing to keep their employees working from home. Though they better change the rules and start paying for my internet and cell phone bill. I'm sure all of these zoom video conferencing I've been having is eating up my data.

There's going to be an even bigger push to make the Internet a utility that basically everyone is entitled to.

[mcminsen]

In the nineteen years I've lived here in downtown Vancouver I've never seen the Westin Grande Hotel so dead. I can see just one room with lights on. I imagine the other hotels are similarly empty.



~8:00 PM, March 23 '20, my pic

[mcminsen]

COVID-19: B.C.’s hotel industry facing closures, mass layoffs

"The B.C. Hotel Association estimates that 40,000 hotel employees could lose their jobs.

B.C.’s hotel industry is predicting closures and layoffs in the tens of thousands because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ingrid Jarrett, president of the B.C. Hotel Association, says there are approximately 60,000 employees working in more than 700 hotels throughout the province, and estimates that two-thirds of those people will be laid off.
“So that’s about 40,000 people in the province,” she said. “And I think, truthfully, that is a conservative number.” ..."

[casper]

Originally Posted by someone123

I wonder what impact this will have on old folks' homes. The ones I've seen were pretty depressing to begin with. It doesn't seem great socially to cloister elderly people away from the rest of society during normal times and then in times like this or even just in bad flu seasons the care comes become a nightmare.

Can we move to a model that's more like fostering but for elderly, where some of them live with aides, or even family members who are given more funding to make things easier? I guess it's challenging since so many have special needs (up to and including people who are completely out of it and will burn a house down, etc.). The ones who don't mostly don't need to live in care homes to begin with.

In BC there is a home care system. Where home care workers come in up to 4 times a day for 20-30 minutes each visit. That is extremely effective at keeping seniors at home, happy and a low cost to society. My 92 year old dad is still at home and wants nothing to do with a care facility. The problem is the level of isolation the rest of the time. That and when someone needs 24h care due to special needs drives the need for care homes.

I don't look forward to the day when his conditions become complex enough that he will need to go to a care home.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by casper

In BC there is a home care system. Where home care workers come in up to 4 times a day for 20-30 minutes each visit. That is extremely effective at keeping seniors at home, happy and a low cost to society. My 92 year old dad is still at home and wants nothing to do with a care facility. The problem is the level of isolation the rest of the time. That and when someone needs 24h care due to special needs drives the need for care homes.

I don't look forward to the day when his conditions become complex enough that he will need to go to a care home.

What you describe is common across the country, with both public and private help. The risk of covid-19 transmission to the elderly is increased by this, but service providers are trying their best. There really is no alternative (family members could take over, but this would represent at least as great a risk).

[rbt]

I don't believe this has been mentioned in this thread, but there is a possibility for a large increase in the number of disabled people.

Among the recovered, loss of lung capacity and brain damage (from prolonged oxygen deprivation) are common for those severely sick and expected to be permanent. The option isn't just death or go back to normal; though the number impacted will depend on how overloaded the healthcare system is.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by mcminsen

In the nineteen years I've lived here in downtown Vancouver I've never seen the Westin Grande Hotel so dead. I can see just one room with lights on. I imagine the other hotels are similarly empty.

One thing that's interesting about this is that you can really get a sense of which towers are the ones that people actually live in and which are the ones that largely serve as Airbnb "ghost hotels", just by looking at the amount of lights on.

(wish I had some photos to illustrate but oh well)

[NotToScale]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

Yes as long as the Cons keep allowing the far-right to drag them down they will unelectable. I don’t foresee that changing as the far-right fringe is now like a pack of rabid dogs, infecting the other members, and not willing to listen to reason anytime soon.

Don't act like the Liberals are holier-than-thou, the far-left are the same, maybe worse, pack of rabid dogs. Moderate minds will always prevail.

[ssiguy]

Originally Posted by casper

In BC there is a home care system. Where home care workers come in up to 4 times a day for 20-30 minutes each visit. That is extremely effective at keeping seniors at home, happy and a low cost to society. My 92 year old dad is still at home and wants nothing to do with a care facility. The problem is the level of isolation the rest of the time. That and when someone needs 24h care due to special needs drives the need for care homes.

I don't look forward to the day when his conditions become complex enough that he will need to go to a care home.

My 92 year old mother was in the exact same situation just 2 years ago but due to a further deterioration, she was forced to move because she could no longer live SAFELY by herself even with the 4 visits a day. With the elderly, their condition can change remarkably fast. If it wasn't for the threat of infecting other people in the facility, I wish my Mom would get the virus and quickly die. If you would have told her 10 years ago that this would quickly become her life, she would have happily put a gun to her head.

I think another long term consequence of the virus could be a total reopening of the "right to die" debate. As we age more and more people will have to live the pathetic life of my Mom who is now effectively in a glorified coma and will make the decision far earlier to have their life shortened before they reach such a point which is not different from DNR status which we currently have.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

My 92 year old mother was in the exact same situation just 2 years ago but due to a further deterioration, she was forced to move because she could no longer live SAFELY by herself even with the 4 visits a day. With the elderly, their condition can change remarkably fast. If it wasn't for the threat of infecting other people in the facility, I wish my Mom would get the virus and quickly die. If you would have told her 10 years ago that this would quickly become her life, she would have happily put a gun to her head.

I think another long term consequence of the virus could be a total reopening of the "right to die" debate. As we age more and more people will have to live the pathetic life of my Mom who is now effectively in a glorified coma and will make the decision far earlier to have their life shortened before they reach such a point which is not different from DNR status which we currently have.

Truer words have never been spoken.

In some ways it is very cruel to keep old folks chugging along as their faculties fail when they've outlasted their friends and are past enjoying much. Last year my mother in law quietly passed away in her sleep. Turned out she hadn't been taking her blood pressure meds. She didn't want to end up in a home and she was taking the only way out she could see. She was 90, had a full life and still lived in her house.

I hope this outbreak spurs more conversations with elderly parents about Medically Assisted Dying.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by NotToScale

Don't act like the Liberals are holier-than-thou, the far-left are the same, maybe worse, pack of rabid dogs. Moderate minds will always prevail.

Good thing the Liberals aren't the far left, then.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by casper

In BC there is a home care system. Where home care workers come in up to 4 times a day for 20-30 minutes each visit. That is extremely effective at keeping seniors at home, happy and a low cost to society. My 92 year old dad is still at home and wants nothing to do with a care facility. The problem is the level of isolation the rest of the time. That and when someone needs 24h care due to special needs drives the need for care homes.

My grandmother lives in a condo but it's pretty much an old folks' home where they live independently.

She's quite happy there. They have a bunch of simple facilities like rooms where they can have parties or play cards, plus a swimming pool, etc. Of course, that stuff is all suspended right now. But it makes a huge difference compared to living in a house by yourself or a small apartment building where there might not be any people in your age group.

Currently her need for assistance is pretty minor and mostly limited to moving heavy stuff around the place, etc. She was sick at one point a few years ago and lived in a care home for a few weeks then was adamant she didn't want to go back. She is very clear that she's in the DNR camp now that she is older. She was also a nurse and doesn't have delusions about what life is like for elderly people with dire medical conditions.

[Rollerstud98]

Originally Posted by someone123

My grandmother lives in a condo but it's pretty much an old folks' home where they live independently.

She's quite happy there. They have a bunch of simple facilities like rooms where they can have parties or play cards, plus a swimming pool, etc. Of course, that stuff is all suspended right now. But it makes a huge difference compared to living in a house by yourself or a small apartment building where there might not be any people in your age group.

Currently her need for assistance is pretty minor and mostly limited to moving heavy stuff around the place, etc. She was sick at one point a few years ago and lived in a care home for a few weeks then was adamant she didn't want to go back. She is very clear that she's in the DNR camp now that she is older. She was also a nurse and doesn't have delusions about what life is like for elderly people with dire medical conditions.

My grandmother can not care for herself at all. She can’t get out of bed on her own or anything like that although she did try last week. Ended up with an ambulance trip to the hospital to get her head stitched up. If she were to become infected I’m fairly certain she would not make it, being 92 and not so much unhealthy but certainly not healthy or in a good position.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Good thing the Liberals aren't the far left, then.

Hahaha, to think that the Libs are far left in Canada... I’m assuming that person has no idea what the far left really thinks of the Libs?

[misher]

Originally Posted by NotToScale

Don't act like the Liberals are holier-than-thou, the far-left are the same, maybe worse, pack of rabid dogs. Moderate minds will always prevail.

Agreed, where Canada belongs is in-between the Con and Lib party.

The NDP and People's parties are filled with lunatics on the fringes. I don't think the party's platforms themselves are crazy, but the participants of these parties tend to be.