TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Staff at local facilities are pulling out all the stops to ensure their residents keep their minds and bodies active during the pandemic.
“We’re trying to keep them engaged in activities, said Wyndmoor Senior Living administrator Val Nisbit. “We try to have zoom visits. When the county percentage rate is under 10 percent, we try to get those families in for visits in our private dining room.”
Window and outdoor visits are welcomed at many facilities but due to the current polar vortex many families haven’t been able to visit. Whether its bingo, celebrating Christmas or kindergarten students creating Valentine’s day cards for residents, staff say the most important peice is to treat every resident like family.
“We’re noticing those small little things because right now, not that they don’t have their family, but there family is outside,” said Heidi Weise, director of sales and marketing at Bethesda Gardens. “We are now their immediate family. We have to really pay attention and keep up on those little signs that could be showing.”
Keeping residents energetic is also of top importance. Bethesda Gardens has already received their first round of COVID vaccinations and will receive their second round next month.
Staff at these facilities say they continue to brainstorm to think of different activities to keep residents engaged.
“I want them treated like my loved ones, like I would want for them,” said Nesbit. “Living through the pandemic has been hard on everyone especially I think the elderly population because they have been so isolated.”
According to Weise, Bethesda Gardens they have not recorded a single positive case.
