‘They’ve been an afterthought’: millions of elderly Americans still vulnerable as pandemic caution wanes

For older people, loneliness and the stress of weighing risk of ordinary activities have taken an additional toll

It was Mother's Day in May 2020, and an elderly woman lay dying in a Rhode Island nursing home. Her children couldn't visit because of Covid, and as much as Adelina Ramos, her certified nursing assistant, longed to provide comfort from her bedside, she had to leave, even though she could see the woman was slipping away.

She had 25 other patients to care for that day.