My 96 year old mom went downhill fast when Coronavirus started. She says she wants to die. I don’t want her to die but I want her happy.

It is hard to understand unless you are there, but our elders do get tired, and just wish for peace. This was the case for my father for years before he was able to die. He truly was so ready "to go". As a nurse my entire career it was one of the saddest things I saw when patients tried to explain to their families that they had good long lives and were ready. There is honestly no upside for her, Cope 123. What is there to be happy about in this end of life where everything is taken from us one thing at a time, all of our control, our independence, our bodily functions. Try to get help from a bit of counseling from a Licensed Social Worker who works with life passages. They will come to us all. I am so sorry, not everything can be fixed, can be made "happy". Listen and lend your support and love.

My dad in the last year became focused on leaving this world, his physical problems simply became too much for him to want to be here anymore. Maybe at 96 this is where your mother is, maybe “happy” is over for her? It certainly was for my dad. I don’t know that we’re ever ready to lose a beloved parent, but seeing them miserable isn’t good either. The isolation of Covid certainly hasn’t helped, but listen to you mom, maybe she’s worn out and tired of how hard life is, 96 is a long life. I wish you both peace in this

96 years old.. If she doesn't want to go, and if you are there to help physically... and that is now what you are asking..
Corona virus... gosh, wish that would just "disappear",, but not likely.
veterans WWII Iwa Jima, you mentioned. Can they help in any way, or have programs? In what ways can they help? Can they help you if you take mom into your home?
I know people who have been affected by coronavirus,, and it's so hard to wrap the brain around as to how quickly this engulfed the world...it is effecting everyone... :(

In what ways has she gone down fast? Has she given up?

My 93 year old mother has been saying she wants to die for a couple of years now. I don’t really thinks she wants to because she takes all her vitamins and supplements everyday and gets up and walks about every hour. She is showing some mental decline, but does everything to keep her mind active. I’m sure she would like to go into the after-life to be with my dad and her siblings/parents, but she is not showing any signs of giving up.

A chaplain once told me that the mind, body, and spirit all have to be in alignment before death can come. If one of them is not ready, then it will not happen. I did see this with my MIL who died a year ago. Her body and mind were wracked with Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s, but her spirit was not ready to leave. She wanted to hang on and be a part everything. It wasn’t until the day before she died that her spirit was being transformed. She had a horrible day of trying to fight it, but became more and more accepting of it before she passed.

My mother may think logically in her mind that she want to pass, but her body and spirit are not ready.

I don’t really know what to say on the pandemic. It doesn’t seem like a good time to go to AL, unless of course your circumstances are such that caring for her is too much.

There are many great minds on this forum who can give you better advice. My thoughts are with you and your mom.