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The coronavirus crisis has cast a shadow over the globe, but nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other senior-focused centers may be feeling it more than most groups.
As doors are shut to visitors, many of whom are family and friends, facilities have gotten creative about bringing joy to their residents and patients. Some centers have had their residents create signs with messages to their loved ones and then posted those on social media. Others are engaging in group activities at their doorsteps. Many nursing homes around the U.S. have amplified communication with family and friends through technology, such as video chats or platforms that keep everyone on the same page about their loved ones’ care.
“It’s a challenging time,” said Thomas Cloutier, vice president of sales and marketing at Avamere Living, a community-based care organization in Oregon with facilities in numerous states. “A lot of people move into senior living for socialization and we have to bring the socialization to them during these times.”
See: ‘I would rather him be lonely than dead’: How to manage when someone you love is in a nursing home
The elderly and immunocompromised, both groups usually found in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, suffer the most from complications related to COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as many government officials have urged older and immunocompromised people to stay at home as much as possible and avoid close contact with others.
But restricting access to family and canceling socialization can be detrimental to the mental, emotional and even physical well-being of the elderly or sick. As such, staff members are ramping up efforts to keep their residents engaged and content during these otherwise uncertain and scary times.
Avamere has been hosting independent activities in a socially-distant group setting, such as painting hour that residents participate in from their doorways and birthday parties where individuals are sung to while sitting on their balconies. Exercise classes take place in the hallways, and concerts move throughout the grounds of the community for everyone to hear. “We’ve changed our efforts to accommodate what’s been going on in the world,” Cloutier said.
Communication with family has also been key, not just for the residents but the loved ones who worry about them. Families and friends know that staying safe inside the facilities is most important, but many still worry about their loved ones’ well-being. An outbreak of coronavirus in a nursing home can be deadly, as seen in cases of centers across the country. About a fifth of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. since February have been linked to nursing homes, according to a New York Times report.
“We’ve tried everything to keep it out of a nursing home, but it’s virtually impossible,” New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said during a press conference last month.
In those instances, facilities have reached out to residents’ loved ones via phone, email, apps and even social media. The Bristal, a group of senior living communities in New York, has the Connection Corner, where people can send in emails every day. Some residents wanted to respond, so the recreation director had them write their messages on boards, take pictures and post it on social media. “It’s rewarding for them,” said George Solano, director of recreation at The Bristal Assisted Living.
Technology has become crucial for most centers to stay in touch with loved ones, not just for video chatting but communication about care between nursing home staff and families.
Also see: Be on the lookout for COVID-19’s hidden cost to older people
“Transparency is huge right now,” said Amy Johnson, chief executive officer of Lifeloop, a technology company that specializes in communication between senior living centers and loved ones. The company has seen an influx of sign ups for the platform during the coronavirus crisis, she said. The platform, which also has an app, allows staff to gather data, such as when meals are served and transportation is scheduled, as well as have parties send pictures and stay engaged. Avamere currently uses Lifeloop, which has made it easier to keep loved ones connected during facility lockdowns, Cloutier said.
As states reopen, nursing home and assisted living facility experts urge centers to remain locked down — as hard as that may be for residents and their families to bear. The number of coronavirus cases in a nursing home rises with the number of cases in the community surrounding the center, said Mark Parkinson, president and chief executive officer of the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living, and facilities are already in need of more resources and funding to stay equipped in the fight against COVID-19.
“This virus is so infectious and so insidious,” Parkinson said during a conference call. “It will make its way into long-term care facilities.”
