Care homes strive to keep connections in quarantine

Coronavirus represents an elevated threat to elderly people and those with compromised immune systems. Understandably, those who have a family member or a loved one in an assisted living or long-term care facility might have elevated concerns, as well.

Making sure that both the physical health and social needs of their residents are being met has taken on new meaning to area residential healthcare providers.

Sunnyside Health Care Center in Cloquet and Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton have found new ways to adjust to the current realities of physical and social distancing in caring for residents.

Inter-Faith administrator Tim Zwickey said all large-group activities have been discontinued and the majority of meals are being served in resident rooms. No visitors are allowed in the building, with exceptions made for compassionate care.

Zwickey said staff members have been doing more one-to-one visits with residents and some small groups still meet "with social distancing as required."

Toni Hubbell, director of life engagement at Sunnyside, said residents are responding to similar constraints at her facility.

"The residents are definitely noticing that they're not getting visits from their families," she said. "We keep assuring them that we're in touch with them. We're doing a lot of FaceTime-ing with different residents, where they can actually see those family members face-to-face and talk with them on the phone."

Roxanne Hedlund, life enrichment services director at Inter-Faith, said interactive technology enables residents to connect with the outside world.

She said residents are interacting through a device called "It's Never 2 Late" to be part of Zoom meetings with family members.

"It's basically a big touchscreen computer that we use, about 23 inches wide with a camera, so the residents can see their loved ones and they can interact in the private setting of their rooms," she said.

Through the technology, Inter-Faith has set up email accounts for every resident to keep in touch with friends and family. She discussed how residents have really enjoyed being photographed by staff while holding up personal signs for their loved ones. The residents have been "smiling and interacting with the camera, because they know these photographs are destined for just their family," she said.

Helping residents connect keeps staff morale high.

"My staff have taken the technology and have just blossomed with it. They have embraced this technology and what we can do to enhance our residents' lives," Hedlund said.

At Sunnyside, Hubbell said they've been making videos of residents and sending them to family members.

"And now we've gotten so many family members that are getting into this that they're sending us videos back to show to the residents. We just keep sending videos back and forth," she said.

While technology has helped meet residents' need for more meaningful contact, the facilities have continued to provide residents with more traditional ways to connect.

Hubbell said Churchill Elementary School second-graders would usually come monthly and visit with residents.

"They can't now, but the teachers are still communicating with the students, and they (the students) have certain residents that they enjoy seeing," she said. "We just got a big bundle of artwork that the second-graders have given to us."

She also told stories of goofy sing-alongs and Barbie-doll horse races that both residents and staff have enjoyed. "Nobody's a good singer here, but we all try," Hubbell said.

Hubbell said staff at Sunnyside are helping one another out more than ever and with a greater sense of togetherness.

"Different departments are seeing more of what we can do to help residents keep boosted," she said. "You might even act a little crazy sometimes as far as hooting and hollering and laughing all together or making silly noises once in a while, just to keep people going. And, you know, the residents love it, they all stay engaged."

Both healthcare facilities provide opportunities for friends, family and residents to see one another in person, with residents safely inside and visitors outside. At Inter-Faith Care Center, there are ground-floor windows that residents arrange to access.

Sunnyside Health Care Center is on the second floor, so friends and family have arranged to come to the Sunnyside Courtyard below the facility's dining room. Hubbell said family members call and ask: "Can you put my mom at the window? I'm walking the dogs over with my family and we want to say hi to her from the courtyard."

"Another gentleman here has a longtime friend of 20 years who's been going down to the courtyard," Hubbell said. "I bring him to the dining room window, and he'll talk on the phone and look down at her so they can see each other while they're talking on the phone."

Both Hedlund and Hubbell said the efforts to engage residents and connect them with loved ones will not be lost in the future.

"We did this here and there before, but now it's so strong," Hubbell said. "Yes, we'll be doing this probably from now to forever. The self-assurance that it gives the residents and the families, I think it's so important."