LUBBOCK, Texas — The city of Lubbock released a joint statement from Mayor Dan Pope and Judge Curtis Parrish reaching out to families struggling with distance, as many have not seen loved ones in nursing homes for the past three months.
“When people come up to me and sometimes say that ‘you don’t know what this is like, you’re the county judge, this doesn’t effect you,’ I always tell them it does, and it’s very personal,” Parrish said.
Judge Curtis Parrish said the decision to keep nursing homes closed as they have been has not been easy, adding he hasn’t seen his mother or mother-in-law since quarantine took effect. He was hoping to help lift the ban on visitors by mid-July, but now Parrish says it could be longer than that.
“We have to be patient, and we have to protect our most vulnerable population, because before the quarantine our nursing homes were literally on fire,” Parrish said. “Nobody wants that, so we to continue doing things that will protect those we love.”
Additionally, Parrish said once nursing homes do open they could look dramatically different. Visitors may be limited going in to visit one at a time, see loved ones during specific hours, and required to wear protective gear to keep the virus at bay.
“Diligence is what will keep us healthy, not only for our older population, but for yourself too,” Parrish said. “While we don’t like isolating our elders, or keeping them at arms length, for right now it’s our best case scenario.”
