Page 96 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine
P. 96
HONORING SENIORS
LIVING IN
LOCKDOWN by Kristi Townsen
andemic! Who could have For the first time, the new spend time with them. Navigating
ever predicted that one small mandates were an override of through this unprecedented time is
Pword would turn our normal "resident's rights." We didn't a challenge for everyone involved.
existence into such chaos? The question anything because our Birthdays and special holidays,
hardest hit and most vulnerable ultimate goal, as always, is to keep once spent with family, have now
segment of our population are our residents safe and healthy. been relegated to the caregivers on
the seniors living in assisted While we scrambled to obtain hand.
living communities and nursing the PPE (personal protective
homes. As the owner of a small, equipment) needed, our senior The psychological challenges we
licensed assisted living facility, residents and their families are facing as we move forward
I am accustomed to following applauded our efforts. We looked with mandated lockdown are
the guidelines required by our for alternative ways to offer increased anxiety, depression,
licensing agency, the Texas Health communication with families. escalating dementia and a failure
and Human Services. Then came We have tried FaceTime, Zoom, to thrive diagnosis. How far will
the avalanche of information fired and window visits. There was we go to protect these seniors, and
at us from the CDC, local Health more listening to music, watching how long will it go on? Currently,
Department and mandates from movies, jigsaw puzzles and no one has the answers we are
the governor’s office. The ultimate more attention from caregivers. looking for. We are happy to be
regulation came mid-March when Thankfully, the generation that we a part of the efforts to keep our
all assisted living homes and are caring for is a lot tougher than residents safe; however, by looking
nursing facilities were required we are. They have lived through at the statistics in the United States,
to go into lockdown. No visitors the Depression, several wars, we are learning that, even with a
were allowed inside, except for family breakups, loss of spouses, stringent screening process, there
medically necessary personnel. and most of them currently have are no guarantees that the virus
We can no longer offer resident serious health issues. Yet, when the will not enter a facility. The bottom
activities; no meals can be shared caregivers have felt defeated, these line is that it is really tough to fight
in the dining room; beauty salons wonderful seniors lifted us up with an invisible enemy and to keep
are closed. We readily complied, their prayers and encouragement. morale up for our residents and
never dreaming the deadly virus employees. Right now, we can only
would still be picking up steam After four months of lockdown, the do our best, try to stay positive,
throughout the summer. murmurs of discontent are growing and pray to see some light at the
louder. Family members want to end of this tunnel.
see their loved ones, hug them, and
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