Monitoring my mother's health from a distance

March 17, 2020 12:51 PM

What's the best way to monitor my mother's health from a distance during COVID-19? She's 74, has some health issues (high blood pressure), lives alone, etc. and just told me over the phone today that she has a sore throat and a "dry cough." So, naturally, I'm starting to panic, but maybe I'm overreacting.

When talking to her over the phone/facetime, she seems... ok. She's had the sore throat/cough for a few days. No other symptoms she says (fever, difficulty breathing, etc.), but I'm not sure if she's just downplaying them or if she's really doesn't have those symptoms. How do I check in with her to see how her symptoms are and if they get worse... what do I do?

I took our province's online based on her symptoms self-assessment and it says not to call in to get tested. Just stay home.

I'm kind of worried because I flew to visit her just over two weeks ago. I feel fine, but did I catch something in the airport and pass it on to her? That's what I'm worrying about. She doesn't come into contact with a lot of people, she's pretty much a shut in. Which, for once, is slightly relieving. From my estimation she only talks to the garbage man, mail carrier, grocery delivery person, and, two of her neighbours. It's probably unlikely that she has covid19, but I'm concerned about what to do if she does. If her symptoms get worse, what do I do an when do I act? I'm about a 4.5 hour drive from her.

posted by VirginiaPlain to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

Do you have contact info for the people she talks to, such that you could call them if you couldn't reach her and/or you wanted them to check on her? In the past, when I was worried about my mom's health, I was able to reach out to people who lived closer so they could check on her.

Is she okay with you checking in frequently via phone or text? Could you set a time to call her twice a day?
posted by rogerroger at 1:02 PM on March 17, 2020

There must be an agency that addresses the needs of elders, and, of course, public health agencies. Call the elder agency 1st as public health will be super-busy, but this is exactly what these agencies are for.

A thermometer is quite important, so make sure she has one; fever is a symptom of Covid-19 and most other infectious disease like flu or cold. And she should call her doctor's office. I hope she feels better soon.
posted by theora55 at 1:36 PM on March 17, 2020

It sounds like both can call Health Link (811) for advice, and she could also call her regular doctor. It seems potentially important to report that she had close/extended contact with someone who recently flew on an airplane - Johns Hopkins suggests mentioning travel history in their guidance about Coronavirus (COVID-19): What Do I Do If I Feel Sick?

Based on what I have been reading about community transmission (e.g. Globe & Mail), your visit doesn't mean you are directly responsible for something that is already established in communities, but it might help get the attention of medical providers. I think contacting a medical provider for advice (CDC), especially for a higher-risk individual (CDC), is an important next step to help develop a plan.
posted by katra at 1:38 PM on March 17, 2020 [1 favorite]

I do not know Canadian law well - do you need / have paperwork that will let you talk to her doctors, either to explain/learn things or to make decisions, depending what's important to you under the circumstances.
posted by lorimt at 2:11 PM on March 17, 2020

Is that assessment just for younger folks, though? Is there any reason she wouldn't call her doctor's office?
posted by bluedaisy at 2:28 PM on March 17, 2020

Does she have a fever? If she doesn't she's probably ok. If she does she should call her doctor. She needs to actually take her temperature, not rely on whether she feels feverish. She should take her temperature every day at the same time to get an idea of what is normal for her. Mine, for instance, is 96. something first thing in the morning. And of course take it if she's feeling feverish.
posted by mareli at 3:24 PM on March 17, 2020 [1 favorite]

Does she have a fever?

Highlights of Expert Panel on COVID-19 from Harvard, MIT, Mass General Hospital (Dr. Melissa Bender, Just Security, Mar. 15, 2020)

In one study, even among patients who required hospital admission for treatment of COVID-19, fewer than half (44%) had fevers at the time of presentation. This makes it difficult to identify patients in the community by way of routine screening measures.

[...] There are many significant implications of this study’s finding. It suggests, for example, that some screening mechanisms–for example, protecting the president by monitoring whether White House reporters have a fever–may be welcome but inadequate precautions. [...] The finding also suggests that many people may not realize they need to get tested or self isolate if they mistakenly believe a fever is necessarily or generally associated with COVID-19.

It does sound like either of you can call Health Link (811) for advice, and she can call her doctor if you don't have permission to speak with her doctor, but either or preferably both of these steps seem helpful for alleviating worry related to planning next steps.
posted by katra at 8:05 PM on March 17, 2020