But after a couple of falls and bouts in rehabilitation centers, she ended up in a Syracuse nursing home on March 10. Early in the pandemic, the ban on visitors in nursing homes was understandable. More than 35 percent of coronavirus deaths in the United States have been linked to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. For elderly people who struggle to hear and see on phone and video calls, the loneliness of nursing homes could feel overwhelming even before the pandemic set in. Social isolation because of the coronavirus in nursing homes has increased depression, weight loss and other forms of physical deterioration, especially for Alzheimer’s patients, who often need more help than understaffed centers can provide.

Source: New York Times December 29, 2020 23:48 UTC