One of the most challenging aspects of the 4th wave has been the alienation and estrangement of families. Once our allies for shared decision making, many are skeptical of the medical management of COVID if not in complete denial it exists. Trust is essential in building rapport.
It is further amplified by isolation from our restrictive visiting policies. I miss the day where I could sit in the room with a family and explain what was going on. More importantly I could see the interactions and understand the dynamics of its members.
Daily updates, conversations about the weather, their participation in medical rounds all gave them grounding and trust in what we were telling them. That is gone now, and though we update family by phone or zoom it is a veil between us.
I love giving good news, but we inherently protect ourselves from listening to tragedy. Walls go up when you broach it, and without trust, sometimes anger and ad hominem attacks ensue. I miss that connection. I knew it was important to me, and I have underestimated its loss.
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