Jacqueline de Groot, president of Verenso (association of specialists in geriatric medicine), calls the current situation in nursing homes worrying. “In more than a third of all nursing homes in the Netherlands, at least one resident is infected. That is much more than last year.”
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Margriet’s 85-year-old mother has dementia and lives in a nursing home. She tested positive last month. “We were previously told that there was a corona outbreak in the nursing home, but my mother was still healthy at the time,” Margriet tells RTL Nieuws. Later it turned out that Corrie was infected after all. “Then she had to stay alone in her room for two weeks and we weren’t allowed to visit.”
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It was an exciting time for the family. “I can’t bear to think that my mother gets very ill, or even worse dies, and I can’t come to visit. I thought about that at the time.” Fortunately, everything went well and Corrie is now out of isolation again. “She got through it well.”
Margriet thinks it was quiet for her mother. “Normally she has people around her, now she was in her room for two weeks. That’s why the nurses put on a TV, radio or CD, so that she still had some sound around her.”
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The current situation and measures cannot be compared with last year, says specialist geriatric medicine De Groot. This is partly due to the high vaccination rate. “For the time being, corona seems to be milder among residents who have been vaccinated. We are therefore pleased that the booster shots are now being planned. Then the residents’ immunity will remain at the same level.”
Less mortality
In addition, fewer deceased corona patients in nursing homes are reported to RIVM, compared to previous corona waves.
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Last year, the nursing homes had to be locked due to a corona infection. Now the infected resident is only placed in isolation, like Corrie. “We never want to close the nursing homes again,” says De Groot. “But at that time, that was the only way to ensure that the virus was contained. A lot was still unclear about the virus and few resources, such as face masks, were available.”
The geriatric specialist explains that there is now a guideline to support nursing homes with decisions and measures, so that visits can continue for as long as possible. “The goal is to remain open for visitors as long as possible. This is important for residents.” All measures are aimed at that, from mouth caps to keeping distance. “Because nobody wants a situation like last year.”
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