It's been about five weeks since my siblings and I have been able to visit our mom in assisted living.

We had been going over every day and taking her out a couple of times a week before the COVID-19 shutdown. I can't tell you how frustrating and sad the feeling of being helpless while she's quarantined in there is.

We had one Zoom session with her the other day with the whole family, thanks to one of the very caring administrators there who helped facilitate the session. It was nice to see her and for her to see us, but it was awkward. She can barely hear, even with hearing aids, so it was more waving and blowing kisses than anything else. She is being kept in her room for safety and can't even come downstairs for us to see her through the window, since she is on the third floor.

One of New Jersey's legislators wants to help prevent the isolation my mom is going through by passing yet another law. These facilities are overwhelmed, currently understaffed and stretched to the limit. We've gotten to know at least a half dozen staff in the short time that she's lived there that would be happy to help her Facetime with us.

The people at most of these places are amazing and beyond caring and helpful. We knew when we moved mom in there that WE were responsible for setting up her special phone so we could communicate with here when we weren't there. We just can't say enough about the places both our mom and dad have been in as far as care and administration.

Laws don't solve these problems; people do. If you're involved and engaged with the facility your loved ones are in, things will go much better than if you just wait for someone in Trenton to pass another law to solve a problem. It won't solve anything, but like many of their laws, hopefully it won't make this situation worse.

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