Witness Testimony

Michelle Kucher testified about the final months of her 95-year-old mother’s life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to restrictions, her mother was socially active, cognitively sharp, and deeply connected to church, seniors programs, and family gatherings. When public health measures shut down community programs, church services, restaurants, and social gatherings, her mother became increasingly isolated, withdrawn, and depressed. Kucher stated that the loss of social interaction significantly accelerated her mother’s cognitive and emotional decline.
Her mother was hospitalized in October 2021 for end-stage congestive heart failure and was medically stabilized with plans to return home. However, during a hospital COVID outbreak on a different floor, visitation was suspended. Although Kucher was her mother’s primary caregiver, she was denied “essential caregiver” status and told that her mother’s loneliness was not sufficient reason to grant access. Family members were unable to visit during her final weeks, and phone communication was inconsistent and difficult.
On January 10, 2022—the day her mother was scheduled to be discharged home—Kucher received a call that her mother had been found unresponsive and later passed away. She was permitted to see her mother only after death, not during her final conscious days. Kucher testified that despite following all public health rules, including vaccination and isolation measures, she believes the policies failed her mother by denying meaningful human contact at the end of life.