Those living in personal care homes are now denied visitors, but staff are working hard to keep them connected to both family and faith.

Diane Nixdorf is the Therapeutic Recreation department director at Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home in Winnipeg. She says that caring for the emotional wellbeing of residents and families during the COVID-19 pandemic takes centre stage.

Unprecedented social distancing efforts have prevented regular visitations and disrupted volunteering. In response, Nixdorf and her team are utilizing many forms of communication in an effort to address these connection issues.

"The emotion through her hands and eyes has been the most touching as they connect."

"Families are finding it very difficult to be apart from their loved ones," she says. "We're trying to look after the families to the best of our abilities, whether that's through technology, telephone conversations or letter writing. Families are feeling stressed about what's going on with their loved ones."

Regular programming has also been disrupted. Volunteers who form the basis for programming are unable to come and provide entertainment or church services. This means that the staff have had to be creative in finding ways to meet the needs of individuals. For many, this looks like connecting through online tools.

One coworker of Nixdorf's describes the interactions as emotional. "We've been doing a lot of connecting with families through Facetime," says Margaret. "Some have been extremely emotional to watch. One resident has a spouse who usually comes every day, but now is not able. I have tried hard for them to Facetime daily. This resident suffered a stroke and lost the ability to speak. The emotion through her hands and eyes has been the most touching as they connect."

Support goes both ways

It's not just the staff that are caring for the residents during this difficult time. Many residents are also caring for their caretakers through daily prayer and encouragement.

"Many family members remind us that they are praying for us too," says Margaret. "We are getting feedback from volunteers who are phoning us and making sure we're ok. For us, its a balance between caring for families and residents while also taking care of our own mental health."

It's not all serious though, many residents are quite happy that they're able to stay in contact with their loved ones.

Family members are sending pictures, emails and staying connected through other means, even coming and speaking through windows. One resident was able to spend time baking with her daughter through Facetime.

"We've had some really successful connections through Facetime. Some residents are able to see the family home, even the family cat or dog. This is extremely meaningful for the residents, despite using new technology," says Nixdorf.

"I could see this continuing into the future."