The past several months have been different, to say the least… sad, scary, unknown. But our community has risen to the occasion and has come out stronger. Executive Director Pam Pate gives her perspective on how the staff and residents are making it work.
How have you seen your team pull together or respond positively?
The way our team has responded has been remarkable but not surprising to me. The staff has been extremely careful and have taken COVID-19 precautions very seriously in order to keep our residents and fellow employees safe. They have pitched in to help in areas outside of their normal jobs with things like extra sanitation, meal deliveries, grocery shopping, and keeping our residents connected to their families even though they have been apart. Our Community Life Services departments at Ardenwoods and Heather Glen Assisted Living have gone above and beyond to keep residents engaged and entertained including activities with meal deliveries, rolling happy hours, parades, art projects and memory boards, as well as daily exercise opportunities. The word “Essential” does not seem sufficient to describe our employees over the last three months.
What good things have come out of the past several months of change?
Two things come to mind: 1) While uncertain and challenging, this time of pandemic has created opportunities for us to become more connected to our residents. We have been here for our residents when their families could not be, and we have helped each other through this difficult time.
2) With restrictions on gathering inside, our residents have been taking more advantage of the beautiful outdoor spaces that can be found on our campus. Folks are walking more, gardening, visiting with their neighbors outside and just spending more time in the fresh air. It has been a great way to stay positive and healthy.