Wear a mask to help folks with Alzheimer's

The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated all of our lives, but it has added an extra layer of difficulty for those living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, and their caregivers. Having experienced the devastation of Alzheimer’s, through my mother’s illness and eventual death from this disease, I know how important it is to stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep this vulnerable population safe as quickly as possible.

For those in assisted living or other supportive care, the strict limitations lead to confusion over the absence of family visits. Phone calls would not have been an adequate substitute for my mother, given her limited hearing and eventual difficulty with any phone conversation. There is no substitute for physical contact, and yet this virus prevents that.

This is what leads me to support the emergency rules recently put forward by Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health to require masks and limit the size of gatherings. These rules are commonsense and provide multiple opportunities for compliance before any penalties are issued; they apply to businesses, schools, and childcare establishments, but not to individuals. These simple steps can limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect
everyone from the risk of increasing infection rates and deaths, and the return of the strict restrictions we saw in Illinois in March and April.

Let’s work together to protect our most vulnerable populations and stop the spread of COVID-19 – and shorten the wait before family members can again visit, hold hands with, and hug their family members.