14 | FEBRUARY 4 • 2021 

and rules of the house but, 
overall, there is a meaningful 
upside to not being alone, 
said Ronald E. Hormel, a psy-
chotherapist at Birmingham 
Maple Clinic in Troy.
“We’re seeing now that a 
social connection to fami-
ly and/or friends can be as 
important to overall health as 
a healthy diet and exercise,” he 
said. “The mental and physical 
results of loneliness play out 
in real time. This can begin 
with symptoms of anxiety 
and depression, which can 
result in a lowered immune 
system and lead to a myriad 
of additional, physical health 
concerns such as hypertension 
and autoimmune flare-ups.”
Hormel said when planning 
to live with a family member, 
pre-move guidelines are in 
order. “
Address basic respon-
sibilities such as household 
chores and bills,” he suggests. 
“Will they be shared? Also 
address the health concerns 
such as who, if anyone, is 
allowed to visit? Is a specif-
ic person leaving the home 
for essentials? Will regular 
COVID testing be a good 
idea? It’s vital to discuss what 
the boundaries would look 
like,” Hormel said. 
Young adults and singles 
may be the largest group to 
move in with family but indi-
viduals of all ages, including 
seniors, are also part of this 
new demographic. 
In a reversal of many fami-
ly’s pandemic living arrange-
ments, this past March, Helen 
Garden’s mom, Rena Berman, 
moved in with Helen and her 
husband, Jeff, when COVID 
regulations at her Jewish 
Senior Life apartment in West 
Bloomfield barred visitors and 
eliminated group meals and 

activities. 
“My mom lives at Meer 
Apartments where they fol-
low CDC guidelines to keep 
residents safe,” Garden said. 
“When COVID numbers 
started to go up [in Michigan], 
we knew we wouldn’t be able 
to see her, and she would be 
isolated in her apartment.” 
 So, in late March, Berman 
moved in with the Gardens 
and shortly afterward was 
able to share the Passover 
holiday with them, along with 
their son, Jason, who tested 
negative for COVID and then 
drove from Chicago to their 
West Bloomfield home. 
“While my mom was here, 
I wanted to do things that 
would keep her active and 
as busy as possible, but away 
from other people,” Garden 
said. 
“We exercised together in 
the house, and we walked 
a lot, and we drove a lot. 
We walked at Kensington 

Metropark. And we drove to 
the old neighborhoods where 
we once lived in Southfield 
and Oak Park.” 
And the two were able to 
spend time just talking. “We 
reminisced, talked about rel-
atives and told stories from 
the past,” she said. “Jeff was 
working from home every day, 
but we all spent time together 
in the evening, had dinner 
together and then watched 
movies.”
Berman moved back into 
her apartment in July. Face-
masked visitors were eventu-
ally permitted but only in res-
idents’ units after completing 
COVID questionnaires and 
temperature checks.
Garden said she’s glad for 
the time her mom spent in her 
home. “I got to see her — and 
she wasn’t alone.
“I was looking to entertain 
her, but I was entertaining 
myself too; being with her 
kept me busy also.” 

ON THE COVER
OUR COMMUNITY

“WE GOT 
TO WATCH 
MILESTONES 
LIKE FIRST 
WORDS, 
CRAWLING, 
FIRST STEPS 
AND POTTY 

TRAINING.”

— GRANDMOTHER 
LEAH FOX

RIGHT: Jodi Fox McDonald and 

Kemper McDonald with Paul and 

Talia McDonald staying safely 

distanced from Jodi’s sisters and 

their families. In the yard are Lindsey 

Fox and her children Nathan, 6, and 

Caleb, 1; and Hallie and Ryan Jaffe 

with Sloane, 13, and Brooke, 10, all of 

West Bloomfield. 
 

FACING PAGE: Jeff and Leah Fox 

with granddaughters Talia and 

Kemper McDonald.

continued from page 13

