Great outdoors: long-term care homes welcome visitors

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This article was published 29/05/2020 (1972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It had been 11 weeks since Cheryl Hedlund had seen her elderly parents in person.

On Friday, Hedlund and her husband, Chris Siddorn, spent 20 minutes chatting with Ron and Anne Fetterly through the courtyard fence at Extendicare Oakview Place in the St. James neighbourhood.

The visit was short and the wind was brisk, but it was a worthwhile experience.

“I thought it was great,” Hedlund said. “They did ask me if I wanted to cancel because of the weather today, and I said, ‘No, I want to see them in person.’”

Ron, 87, and Anne, 88, have lived at the Winnipeg personal care home for almost two years. Prior to coronavirus-related visitor restrictions, the family got together once a week — doing puzzles and drinking tea in the rec room.

“We come every Friday since they’ve been here,” Siddorn said, adding he wasn’t surprised when Manitoba put a halt to such visitations in March. “It seemed obvious that they were gonna lock down the personal care homes. We knew it was coming.”

Last week, the province announced limited outdoor visits would be reinstated at PCHs by May 29; however, on Friday, several facilities in Winnipeg and northern Manitoba had yet to welcome visitors.

“Most, if not all sites, have sent out their communication to families this week,” a spokesman for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said via email. “A handful are not getting the actual visits started until Monday… just due to ensuring appropriate processes and resources (are) in place.”

The official could not say how many care homes were still closed to visitors.

At Oakview, staff have been busy setting up appointments for the 245 residents.

“I’m not going to lie to you, it hasn’t been easy,” said administrator Cara Thomas. “But it’s a labour of love in a lot of ways. We miss the families just as much as they miss the elders.”

Families can sign up for a 20-minute time slot and are assigned one of seven visitor stations along the east side of the care home. Large numbers designating the spaces and painted butterflies and flowers have been affixed to the fence separating residents and visitors. A second fence has been erected inside the courtyard to maintain the minimum two metres of physical distance.

During the Fetterly’s afternoon visit, an Oakview staff member in a face mask and shield stood nearby to help facilitate conversation.

A big grin spread across Ron’s face when he saw his daughter.

“Hey kiddo,” he said exuberantly, before settling into a lawn chair.

Anne smiled from her wheelchair while the four chatted about the weather and what they had been up to for the last several months.

“I’m even kind of wondering if they know what’s going on,” Hedlund said. “I do say that I can’t come see them because there’s a virus… I think it’s hard for them to understand, though.

“I’m just glad that they’re healthy and they look happy.”

Hedlund plans to visit her parents at the fence every Friday.

One positive side-effect to the lockdown at Oakview has been the success of its virtual visit program, which has afforded family members weekly Facetime calls with residents using donated phones and tablets. Hedlund’s sister in Florida has had the chance to check in with her parents regularly.

“It’s opened up a whole other means of communication that we maybe weren’t utilizing as well prior to all of this happening,” Thomas said. “I can see us absolutely keeping it going.”

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @evawasney