Helping a Queens Family Survive a Multi-Generational Impact of COVID-19

In East Elmhurst, Queens, one of New York City’s neighborhoods hardest-hit by the coronavirus, VNSNY Home Care nurse Cidric Trinidad has been making regular visits to the home of a multi-generational family heavily impacted by the pandemic. The family was mourning a grandmother lost to COVID-19, their grandfather had just come home from the hospital, and seven out of eight other family members were asymptomatic but testing positive for the illness.

In addition to delivering much-needed clinical care for the grandfather, Cidric, a nurse with Queens Branch 1 who has been with VNSNY for 15 years, was also there to educate the family. “They were not aware of a lot of things,” he says. “In the hospital, nurses and doctors don’t have a chance to explain things to them. And while there’s a lot of information on television, it can be confusing.”

The family is primarily Spanish-speaking, and while Cidric does speak some Spanish, the young granddaughter is also on hand to translate. “I talk to them in words they can understand,” says Cidric, “and they’re all ears.”

Following his recent release from the hospital, the grandfather’s blood oxygen level was very low, so Cidric explained to the patient and his family how to use supplemental oxygen and what worrisome symptoms to watch for. He told them that they should alert clinicians immediately if the grandfather experiences severe shortness of breath while on oxygen, or gets unusually lethargic or confused.

Even as they keep the grandfather isolated, Cidric added, they need to monitor him closely—including when he gets out of bed, since he’s weak and falls are a particular risk. Cidric is also teaching the rest of the family how to monitor their own symptoms, as well as what to do if they spike a fever or develop a cough (call the doctor) or grow short of breath (call 911), and why it is essential to wear masks and social distance whenever they leave the house (which is only to get groceries). “I tell them, ‘You have to be aware that you are carrying the virus,’” he says.

Queens has one of the highest concentrations of COVID-19 cases in New York, fueled in part by multi-generational households like this one, where the virus can readily spread through families, including to vulnerable elders. “You can see why East Elmhurst is one of the epicenters,” says Cidric. “With so many family members living in one apartment, how can you isolate?”

He notes that the family he visits has been able to isolate the grandfather in the largest bedroom, which is connected to a bathroom. The daughter delivers food and medicine to his door, and a bottle of hand sanitizer sits on the bedside table. Meanwhile, the family still has not had a chance to grieve their grandmother, who died in the hospital last month.

“They are a typical Latino family, very family-oriented, and the children and grandchildren are very supportive,” notes Cidric. “They are grateful for the information I’m able to share, and I can see that they feel better because of it. When I tell them, ‘These are the symptoms to watch for and report, and you can call us any time,’ they feel they are not alone in dealing with this crisis.”

To read more VNSNY Heroes of 2020 stories, click here.