i Could Have Skipped Writing About This But I Choose To Share Because If You Are Staying Away From Your Parents Or Taking Care Of Them This May Just Help.
this Picture Is From My Mom's 75th Birthday This Year In August. My Mom And Dad Have Been Homebound For The Late 6 Months Knowing They Were Easy Preys To This Virus. They Did Not Step Out At All. They Tested Positive and A Few Things I Want To Share With Each One Who Is Reading And Would Appreciate If You Can Share.
1. Please Test Yourself And Your Parents At The Slightest Symptom. Don't Even Wait Or Second Guess The Symptom.
2. Keep Your Options Ready For Hospital, Doctors And Quarantine. If Your Parents Are 60+ Would Totally Recommend Hospitalization Because You Will Be Helpless And The Virus Is Lethal And So Different On Different People.
3. It Spreads Like Fire. Delay In Even A Day Can Be Lethal.
4. Make Sure Your Parents If Old Know How To Take Their Temperature And Operate The Oximeter.
5. You May Be Tempted To Be With Them But Knowing Or Unknowing That They Are Positive You Cannot Put Yourself With Them Because What You Can Do Away From Them While Being Okay Is Far More Important Than Being Infected As Well.
6. Do Not Drop Your Parents To The Hospital If Infected. Call An Ambulance.
7. With Even One Person Being Tested Positive In Your Family, Please Quarantine At Home And Do Not Be Scared To Test Positive. Do Not Put Other Lives Especially Senior Citizens At Risk. That's Just What Happened With My Parents.
8. If You Are Positive And Have Recovered Please Do Not Hesitate To Donate The Plasma. That's The Biggest Payback You Can Give To The World Right Now.
9. That Forward You Get From Someone Please Share It. I Got 3 Plasma Donors In Less Than 3 Hours With Whatsapp Today.
10. Save Your Outings For When You Really Need It, That Much-dreaded Hospital Visit Where You Admit Your Parents But Can't Hug Them.
a Lot Of Daughters Wrote Back To Me Saying They Wish They Were Staying With Their Dad. Don't Blame Yourself For Whether You Are A Daughter Or Son. You Could Be With Them Or Away From But The Pain And Helplessness Is Real. If You Were With Them Perhaps You Would Be Infected Too And Homebound.
we Are 4 Daughters But I Told My Mom This Morning That She Has An Army Of 4 Daughters, 4 Sons, 6 Grandkids And Their Families Working For Her And Dad.
my Dad Told Me 2 Very Important Things When I Was Growing Up.
you Are The Person You Are Because Of Your Character And Not Your Gender And When Faced With A Problem Don't Ask 'why Me'? Ask Yourself How Am I Going To Solve This Differently Because It's Me.
for All Those With Old Parents Keep Everything Handy As Photos On Your Family Group:
1. Their Current Prescription
2. Their Latest Reports Of Any Important Surgery/complications. Scans.
3. Their Aadhar Card (both Sides) – Now Essential For Most Drugs
4. Blood Group / Senior Citizen Card
5. Medical And Insurance Papers
you May Not Be Able To Go Back Into That Infected Place And Having Prints May Not Be Relevant.
teach Them How To Use
1. Oximeter And Thermometer
2. Video Calls
3. How To Click Photos And Whatsapp. This May Seem So Basic But Trust Me Technology Is The Only Communication Vehicle In These Tough Times
buy Ppe Suits For The Time You Need To Visit The Hospital Or Run An Errand For Them. Speak To People Whose Parents Have Got It And Know The Rules On Blood Banks, Donors, Quarantine Rules. It's All So Foggy At That Moment.
last But Not Least Ask For All The Help. I Know This Is Not Over But It's Only Because Of Friends And A Super Large Family That We've Got This Far.
Rati Ramadas Girish
Purvi Gandhi
KSP Team
Kanishka Pariani
Rebecca Samuel
