For twelve days I have walked around worrying about my parents, no matter what else I am doing. Oh, I am not worried about their assisted living community or how it is run. It’s as good as it gets when it comes to caring, respect, and attention to needs. And epidemiology wise, the staff is doing everything that can be done to protect the community residents during this CoVid-19 epidemic.
No, I am just an adult child who is lonely and in need of connection with my parents, and I know they are also yearning for more connection.
So I was just delighted to get an email from Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community that explained how to go about arranging to FaceTime or Skype. Then Caitlin, the activities director called to schedule a time for a call with my parents using an iPad.
Yesterday I FaceTimed with my parents for more than 15 minutes. It was awesome. They seemed happy to see me, and the conversation mostly focused on all of us telling the others that we were OK. And that’s OK!
I wrote a post some time ago about setting up FaceTime with my parents with their granddaughter and great-grandchildren. Those sessions mean so much, especially to my mom! In fact, she says she feels like she is right there watching the kids grow up.
I felt the same way yesterday. As Caitlin moved the iPad back and forth between mom and dad, I felt like I was there talking to them, and saw that they are soldiering through this difficult and challenging time when social distancing is front and center in our lives.
The best news? Caitlin will make our FaceTime session a regular appointment so I can visit with my parents every week. What an amazing addition to my caregiving efforts.
As Our Parents Age So Do We 
This is awesome! Thanks for sharing this connection with your parents.
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