Nursing home doctor: 'I see a lot of sadness and anger among our residents.'

The Netherlands is in the grip of corona. Most people stay at home as much as possible, while healthcare providers are fighting the severe consequences of the virus and doing everything they can to do so. Anneke van Strien is a geriatric specialist at Saffier in The Hague. She sees how much trouble residents of nursing homes are experiencing from the ban on visiting.

Anneke van Strien: ‘The ban on visiting is our biggest problem, which causes a lot of sadness and anger among our residents. And our employees are sometimes afraid of contamination. For example, people with dementia really don’t think about coughing into their elbow. That’s tough, even if you’re wearing protective clothing.

‘I wasn’t too concerned at first, but once it became clear how big the impact of the virus could be… I’m 58, I have mild diabetes – I shouldn’t have it! In addition, I am an increased risk to my family. Conversely, my children of 18, 19 and 20 years old absolutely do not want to infect me, because “Mom, you should not take it to those old people”.

‘When I’m free, I sometimes go for a bike ride to clear my head. Because my work has become busier. In addition to the normal accessibility services, the geriatric medicine specialists also provide corona services for employees with specific questions. By removing anxiety from them, they can do their work in a more pleasant and better way.

‘My contact with patients has really changed. I no longer shake hands, but make a small bow with the hands pressed together. During a physical examination I no longer work through a standard list, but I look much more precisely at what is needed for a specific patient.

‘If patients become terminally ill, relatives can come and say goodbye. They can also watch if they want, and receive a mouth mask and gloves. I cannot justify it for my professional honor if it is not possible to say goodbye, and fortunately my organization thinks so too.