"3 Months Without Seeing Faces" Families in Tears Over Nursing Home Visit Ban on Parents' Day

7th Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters recommends refraining from visits and outings at nursing hospitals to prevent COVID-19 spread
Health authorities "High risk of cluster infections... video consultations also applicable"

On the morning of the 7th, one day before Parents' Day, a family is visiting at the non-contact safe visitation window of Daejeon Veterans Nursing Home. This photo is not related to any specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Gayeon and Intern Reporter Kim Yeonju] #Park Mo (57), a housewife caring for her 80-year-old mother-in-law with dementia in a nursing hospital, was filled with hope that she could visit her as social distancing measures eased to "distancing in daily life" and Parents' Day approached. However, distancing regulations in nursing facilities, where elderly people vulnerable to infection gather, have not been lifted, causing great disappointment. Park said, "It has already been three months since I last visited my mother," adding, "I can only hear about her condition through the hospital, and I have no other news. Thinking that I cannot see her even by Parents' Day weighs heavily on my heart."

On the 8th, Parents' Day, sighs grew among those wanting to visit their parents in nursing hospitals and care facilities. This is because the quarantine authorities maintained the visitation ban according to guidelines, fearing mass infections in nursing hospitals, where high-risk groups for COVID-19 are concentrated.

On the 7th, Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' quarantine team, said at a regular briefing, "Nursing hospitals and nursing homes house elderly patients with underlying diseases, and many previous mass infection cases have occurred, so very strict quarantine measures have been implemented," adding, "Although it is Parents' Day on the 8th, it is difficult to ease visitation restrictions at nursing hospitals at this time."

He continued, "Many people want to see their parents in nursing hospitals on Parents' Day," and urged, "Please endure a little longer and instead check on them through video calls or phone calls."

Kim Mo (59), who has her father in his 70s in a nursing facility, said, "I usually feel sorry for not seeing him often, but it has become even harder due to COVID-19," expressing frustration, "I have seen his face a few times through video calls, but since my father has hearing difficulties, we cannot have proper conversations, which pains me."

Kim added, "The elderly say that just seeing their family's faces gives them vitality for days and helps them stay healthy, but given the current situation, I am afraid their condition might worsen."

Photo by Yonhap News

The government's visitation ban guidelines for nursing facilities are based on statistics showing that most patients in these facilities are elderly over 60, the group most vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.

As of the 7th, the average age of the 256 COVID-19 deaths in South Korea was 77.4 years. 86% of the deceased were aged 65 or older. The fatality rate sharply increased with age. The fatality rate for those aged 80 and above reached 25.00%, meaning one in four COVID-19 patients aged 80 or older died. For those in their 70s, it was 10.85%, and for those in their 60s, 2.73%.

Additionally, many elderly residents in nursing facilities suffer from underlying diseases, which is cited as a particularly important reason for caution. Most COVID-19 deaths so far involved underlying conditions. Only three deaths had no confirmed underlying diseases. Among the underlying diseases of the deceased, circulatory system diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were the most common at 77.0%, followed by endocrine diseases such as diabetes at 48.8%, mental illnesses such as dementia at 44.1%, and respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 24.2% (overlaps possible).

In particular, according to the quarantine authorities, as of the 6th, 128 people at Hansarang Nursing Hospital and 100 people at Daesil Nursing Hospital in Daegu were infected with COVID-19, and 68 people at Bonghwa Pureun Nursing Home and 66 people at Seoyoyang Hospital in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, were confirmed positive, raising concerns about mass infections.

Meanwhile, Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's Central Disease Control Headquarters, emphasized at a regular briefing held on the afternoon of the 6th in Osong, Chungbuk, "COVID-19 does not often progress severely in healthy young and middle-aged adults, but it spreads easily and often progresses severely in the elderly or those with underlying diseases who have weakened immunity, so caution is necessary."

She added, "Staff at nursing facilities must block the virus more thoroughly and continue infection control," and urged, "Families should carefully monitor elderly people staying at home for medication adherence, exercise, and visits to enclosed indoor facilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.