These families are already feeling the emotional strain of Ontario's latest long-term care rules

Monique Mussar calls her 90-year-old mother Rachelle Larocque a social butterfly.

Larocque lives at Pioneer Manor Long Term Care in Greater Sudbury and her seven children had been visiting her frequently. 

As of today, however, access by general visitors is on hold — due to an outbreak of COVID-19 at the facility as well as new temporary provincial restrictions for all Ontario long-term care homes.

Effective Dec. 30, long-term care facilities aren't allowed to let general visitors in, or let residents leave for social reasons. 

Rod Phillips, the Ontario minister of long-term care, said the measures are to protect vulnerable residents from the highly contagious Omicron variant.

Mussar is also caregiver for her husband and uncle, who are at facilities other than the one where her mother lives. Mussar has become protective of all of them and their mental health needs over the course of the pandemic.

Given what's already known about COVID-19, Mussar said she understands the temporary measures are meant to protect vulnerable individuals in long-term care, but questions why visitors have to be excluded.

"Put on the gloves, the mask, the glasses — all of it — still keeping their protection being first and foremost, still insisting that that visitor is vaccinated to the fullest," she said. "I think those things could be put in place where a resident can still have that person come in and see them physically, not just over a phone or FaceTime."

Mussar said she is still grateful at least one or two primary caregivers will be able to visit loved ones in long-term care.

In 2020, during the first few months of the pandemic, Mussar recalled her mother's mental health suffered greatly because she couldn't see anyone.

"That prompted my mom to say those words I'll never forget, which was, 'I'd rather die than continue living like a caged animal,'" she said.

Mussar added she's willing to fight hard to prevent another full lockdown in long-term care.

"I'd have my full boxing gloves on and I'm walking into somebody's office saying you can't do this because their mental health is as important as their physical health. I know they won't die from depression, but some of them if they prefer to die over that ... it gets scary at that point."

Mussar is adamant all three of her loved ones are receiving wonderful care by the hard-working staff at the respective facilities where they're living.