By Ellyn Mantell
There are no words to express the gratitude we feel to all the facilities that did all they could to keep our parents alive during COVID!
Our Mom as well as the Moms and Dads of friends and acquaintances, have all survived because of the valiant steps taken by senior facilities, and I strongly feel we could have not done as well ourselves if given the same task. How difficult must it have been to keep the senior community in quarantine for well over a year?
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As my readers know, “our” Mom is at the Chelsea at Warren (Eleanor is my mother-in-law, with whom I am as close as can be) and throughout the pandemic, I cannot imagine what my husband, sister-in-law, and I would have done had she not been safe. It was difficult enough to take care of ourselves, but what would we have done if she needed her meals and many needs met? If we ever had any question that a facility works for seniors, we have long gotten past it…we know it works!
There were countless rules we needed to follow once the restrictions began to be lifted, and the Executive Director, Farrah Molfetta was wonderful in keeping us updated. In the beginning, Mom was allowed to leave her room and meet with us outdoors, masks on. That was most difficult because Mom could not bear wearing it at times, and forgot the need and the reason, so we felt like drill sergeants constantly reminding her to put it back on. Then she was able to eat meals with the other residents, no longer needing to eat alone in her room. Eventually, we were able to visit indoors and would be COVID rapid tested prior to seeing her each time. That easily added another half hour to our planned time with her, but necessary, so we gladly did it.
In all honesty, I have no idea how Farrah and her team managed to do so well. During the lockdown, we all brought cakes, cookies, and food for moral support, but that only goes so far. There must have been moments of desperation when everyone at Chelsea wondered if it would ever end…would there ever be another “normal” day? Who would be sick next? How many hours can they continue to keep working to take over for those who were sick?
No doubt there was the loss of life during those many months of lockdown and quarantine, as well as the transition period, but as always, there is great discretion in facilities, and only the family and those close are privy to that information. There were numbers mentioned in the newspapers, but it was much better for us to concentrate on how well Mom was coping. The chef even devised a portable steaming table and went from room to room to bring the residents hot and delicious food….no doubt, a highlight of their day.
Although we talked about the “what ifs” of having Mom at our home and caring for her needs, we are so grateful that she was where she was meant to be. The Greatest Generation has certainly seen it all and survived it all, and they can add this to their impressive list of accomplishments.
The Chelsea at Warren was one of the many senior facilities that earned their stripes during the COVID war, and we are eternally grateful! There are many, and my guess is they all did whatever they could to protect and keep alive their residents. We feel so fortunate to be able to look back on a potentially devastating time and know the hand of fate helped us make the right decision years ago and look forward to it continuing.