“Registered nurse Stefania Silvestri, certified nursing assistant Edwina Gobewoe and recreational therapist Kim Sangrey are three nursing home workers who struggle with grief over the suffering from COVID-19 they’ve witnessed. (Stefania Silvestri, Fil Eden, Kim Sangrey)”

by Judith Graham

“In the middle of the night, Stefania Silvestri lies in bed remembering her elderly patients’ cries.

“’Please don’t leave me.’

‘I need my family.’

“Months of caring for older adults in a Rhode Island nursing home ravaged by COVID-19 have taken a steep toll on Silvestri, 37, a registered nurse.

“She can’t sleep, as she replays memories of residents who became ill and died. She’s gained 45 pounds. ‘I have anxiety. Some days I don’t want to get out of bed,’ she said.

“Now, as the coronavirus surges around the country, Silvestri and hundreds of thousands of workers in nursing homes and assisted living centers are watching cases rise in long-term care facilities with a sense of dread.

“Many of these workers struggle with grief over the suffering they’ve witnessed, both at work and in their communities. Some, like Silvestri, have been infected with the coronavirus and recovered physically — but not emotionally.”

Click here to read this article at Kaiser Health News.