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7 UpFront: Celebrating holidays while protecting older relatives from COVID-19

Posted at 6:48 PM, Nov 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-23 19:34:40-05

(WXYZ) — In tonight's 7 UpFront segment, we're concentrating on the impact COVID-19 pandemic is having on the senior population as we move into the holiday season.

The past 8 months haven't been easy on anyone, but it has been particularily hard for loved ones in nursing homes.

Melissa Samuel, the President and CEO of the Health Care Association of Michigan is joining us to talk about how we can celebrate with our older relatives, while also protecting them from the coronavirus.

"We're going to have to fall back on where we have been though most of the pandemic, and that's connecting with our reisdents and loved ones through virtual options, through technology, outdoor window visits, we can do that," she says.

"We know that you can reach a tipping point where both the mental and physical deteroriation can begin," Samuel says. "We're in our ninth month, and it's only compounded during the holiday season. It's incredibly, incredibly difficult for our residents, our family members, and our providers to have to deal with all of this."

You can see the full interview in the video player above.