Dear editor:

Sincere thanks to Dr. William Brown and his family for sharing their own personal journey through the unimaginable effects of isolation, (“Imagine isolation in care homes, especially for those with dementia,” The Lake Report, April 22).

As a resident of Pleasant Manor in Virgil, I witness isolation at many levels, not only in the long-term care area but also those who try to “behave” but are confused with so many ongoing restrictions and rules.

Indeed just imagine “being shut up in one room for weeks on end with little social interaction except for meals, the comings and goings of staff, with no opportunity to walk the corridors, visit common spaces or perhaps even get outside for a walk in a fenced space.”

Further imagine not even being able to open a window, just a few inches, for just a few minutes.

The abundance of caution no longer makes any sense at all. At what price is the quality of life – just to keep the statistics down, but watch our loved ones fade away?

Several of my peers are dealing with a loved one in isolation. Their heartache is beyond understanding. They just have to watch it.

I admire them all.

Ingrid Regier
Virgil