In care facility, alone with coronavirus — and Holocaust memories

“That’s not snow. Those are ashes. We must be near a crematorium.” — Charlotte “Lotty” Stark Stark-Hailpern’s mother Lotty Stark, 96, has severe dementia haunted by memories of the Holocaust. As the present dissolves, the nightmare she barely escaped survives. Dementia can be painful for adult children hoping for the slightest sign of recognition — but Michele visited her mother every day until COVID-19 changed everything last month. The last time she visited her mother in person was March 13, when assisted living centers and nursing homes shut their doors to the public to curtail contagion. “Mom fell twice,” Michele prefaces. “The first time she broke her back, and the next time she broke her hip. They transported Mom to Rose Medical Center, and I […]