@bpforever1 - I am so sorry. I was truly hoping and praying that your brother would change by now at least. Him being unvaccinated put your parents at risk of severe disease or death (for anything really, including both Covid-19 and influenza complications). But stress and isolation will also shorten the elderly's lifespan, according to statistics and geriatric research. Johns Hopkins has some great resources for the aging. I almost wanted to study that, but then I found myself lacking the skills I need for that particular field. I love the field though, and how they try to keep the elderly healthy and happy.

If your brother is isolating your parents from you or other sources of social support, he is endangering them as well. The CDC mentions here how loneliness and isolation increase serious health conditions for older persons. This is why it is so important that the elderly remain safely (emphasis on safely) connected with their loved ones - especially with health issues, end-of-life issues, and nursing home issues. The best scenario is for the elderly to live with a trustworthy and safe relative, as opposed to congregate housing, nursing homes, etc. Although it may be stressful for caregivers who lack respite and support, it also adds a level of filial cohesion, love, community, and longevity of life - perhaps for both the elderly and their younger caregiving family members.

Your brother is being really selfish.

But the problem is, what will happen to your parents if he's no longer allowed to be their caregiver? Will your parents wind up in a nursing home? Depending on the nursing home, it could be a better situation or a worse one. There are also independent alternatives for elderly couples and individuals, but those tend to cost a pretty penny. If your parents have any savings left at all, and I'm talking a few hundred thousand dollars, there are co-op luxury-like living situations for the elderly. I know of one in Chicago, but you have to "buy in" to their program, which covers everything from active elderly couples to end-of-life care. They seem to be one of the best, but most of the people there are rich professionals (not mega rich, but upper middle class for sure). They would buy in with a minimum of $300,000 - but this was back in 2016 or so. Who knows how much their costs are now, given this pandemic and the costs for maintaining air quality as well as safety protocols for their entire establishment. I'm sure there are others in the country, but their costs may also vary.

If your parents have any well-to-do friends, they could also consider doing a private co-op with them. They could only engage in their "pod" that is vaccinated, and only hire nurses that will cover all the elderly couples and individuals in their co-op. They typically purchase a huge house and share the resources on hiring one nurse for all of them. That cuts down home nurse costs by thousands!

There are many alternatives that your parents can look into.