Creative Accommodations Work to Uplift the Elderly’s Spirits during the Pandemic 

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Employees rise to the occasion to accommodate residents at nursing homes and long term care facilities due to the visitation guidelines of COVID-19.

 

 As the sun rises and falls each day, residents in long term care and nursing homes sit anxiously waiting for a visit from their family.  Some can only look forward to the daily check-in and grin they get from their CNA (certified nursing assistant). Unfortunately, for many, this is the only ounce of interaction they have experienced since the beginning of the pandemic. Others, peer dazedly out the window in hope that they can see someone they recognize. When a family does arrive a grandchild can not eagerly run-up to their loved one giving them a big hug, but can only mouth the words “I love you” through a framed glass square window from the lengthy distance of the parking lot.   

Many patients in nursing homes and long term care facilities struggle with loneliness and fear of self-isolation from the world. Due to the pandemic, the residents in these facilities risk experiencing this at a consequential level.  

Before June 4, 2020, the visitation of the family was not allowed at all in the state of Indiana’s nursing homes and long term care facilities. Since then, the State of Indiana Governor,  Eric Holcomb lifted some restrictions allowing safe “social distancing”, outdoor visits. 

Days and days went by from early March to early June with residents not receiving visitation interaction. The development of isolation and loneliness leads to potential effects psychologically, physically, and emotionally.

 “National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine” reported in the Consensus Study Report, that the health of an individual is at strong risk due to isolation from others and loneliness. The research they conducted has shown that individuals older than 50 that experience no social interaction have displayed an  increased risk of death. On a day to day basis prior to the pandemic,  the social interaction the residents looked forward to most was the kind of interactions they received from their families.

  Due to the pandemic circumstances,  employees at these facilities have made and offered accommodations for the psychosocial needs of their residents. The staff has had to recreate and reimagined the activities with social distancing practices and CDC guidelines in place to enhance social interactions with caution and safety in mind, 

Diana Pane, Admissions director at Seymour Crossing, discussed how their long term care facility is taking precautions while reimagining engaging activities for residents. Some of these reimagined activities include BINGO from the hallway and dance contests that are done at the resident's bedside and judged by the staff from the hallway.

“I deal with the families of the patients. We are very cautious about how we take care of things, how we sanitize, every precaution that comes down from the CDC, we make sure to initiate it when accommodating the residents”, Pane said. 

 One of the most common ways that the employees have helped connect loved ones to their family members is through the use of technology. Most residents in these facilities have trouble adapting to the modern generation of communicating on cell phones or do not personally own technology-based devices. 

 Christina Nevins, wellness director at Keepsake Village located in Columbus, IN, works alongside residents and has noticed the positive psychosocial impacts when residents are able to connect in some way to their family members with the employee's assistance. Many employees have brought in their personal cell phones and tablets to residents for this purpose.

“This is their home away from home, and so our employees have brought in Iphones and kindles to help residents connect ”, said Nevins regarding her staff. “ We don’t have as many falls, agitation, and stress has seemed to calm down as they have been able to connect with their loved ones.”

 Nevins continues to acknowledge and praise her staff for their concern and adaptability during the Covid-19 pandemic. She continued to state regarding the residents, “It seems that when they weren't able to see their families, they were more dazed and their effect was as if they were just sitting and searching for something. They might not have the ability to realize or articulate that it was their family they were searching for. But, their attitudes changed when they were able to finally connect with them and were able to hear their familiar voices.”